


Misfits and Lovers

by eldee



Series: DRUCK daemon AU [2]
Category: Druck | SKAM (Germany)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Daemons, Alternate Universe - His Dark Materials Fusion, Boys In Love, Canon Trans Character, Coming Out, David's POV, Established Relationship, Family Drama, M/M, References to Depression, They are so in love, supportive friends
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-17
Updated: 2020-01-11
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:55:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 42,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21814030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eldee/pseuds/eldee
Summary: A DRUCK Season 4 (and beyond) Parallel Universe—with Daemons.**The continuing story of David and Matteo, and their daemons Jasmine and Stella. (Or, David'sCome What Maysequel.)
Relationships: Matteo Florenzi/David (Druck)
Series: DRUCK daemon AU [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1566061
Comments: 80
Kudos: 222





	1. (the end of) July

**Author's Note:**

> After teasing long enough on Tumblr, here it is -- David's _Come What May_ sequel.
> 
> If you haven't read _Come What May_ you may wish to go back and do that. Even though it was a rewriting of Season 3, enough was changed that carries over to this fic that it may be confusing. (Largely--David was never outed/his friends don't know he's trans, Matteo's MI diagnosed, and Matteo's relationship with his father. Oh, and everyone has a daemon. There is a [mini-primer here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19183171/chapters/47358271#chapter_4_endnotes) for those who aren't familiar.) Then again, there you have it, so you might be okay with just going forward. :)
> 
> Title from the song _Misfits and Lovers_ \- The Wallflowers

David loved his boyfriend. He loved his boyfriend’s daemon. But if Matteo and Stella didn’t stop whining about the heat, David might have to let Jasmine eat Stella as threatened, just to shut them all up.

“Are we there yet?” Stella complained. “It’s too hot.”

“We are literally ten minutes from the park,” David said. They got back to Berlin that day from their trip around Europe, and were about to surprise Jonas for his birthday party. None of their friends, save for Amira, knew they were back yet. “We can do it.”

“Can we though?” Stella rode Jasmine’s back, as had become her habit, but she was sprawled out and paid so little attention in trying to stay on that it was a wonder she didn’t roll right off.

“We can, Stellabella,” David said, nodding seriously. “We can.”

“Did you know,” Matteo said, walking alongside David, “that Germany has tried to lower greenhouse emissions—”

“By forty percent per year,” David said. “Yes, I know. I read the link you sent me.”

“My point,” Matteo said, “is that it doesn’t fucking feel like it.”

“No shit,” Stella agreed. Even Jasmine grunted in agreement.

David rolled his eyes fondly. If there was anything learned from this trip across Europe, it wasn’t regarding history or architecture or even different cultural foods. It was that Matteo had an awakening to the climate change crisis. 

Because he was pissed off with the extreme heat wave.

Mostly, he seemed annoyed with having to carry his small furry daemon around his neck as she complained her feet would get too sore walking along on over-heated cement. He wasn’t mad at her, specifically, but with things in general. After buying a pouch he clipped around his waist for her to ride in, he then read a bunch of articles on his mobile after David had offhandedly said, “That’s climate change for you,” after the twentieth complaint while they’d strolled around the hot streets of Madrid. 

It was a typical summer thing, for cities to get too hot, but Matteo had taken that little seed and made it grow wild. David strongly suspected there were Fridays for Future marches they’d be going to.

“Oh good, we’re here,” Stella said, sitting more upright when they saw the greenspace of the park ahead of them. “Let’s just jump right into the lake, yeah?”

“If that’s what you want,” David said mildly. He would not be partaking, not in such a crowd, but he knew Jasmine would happily take her in.

Having a birthday party at the lake was a good idea. As David and Matteo approached, Jasmine walking alongside them with Stella riding on her neck, David could see the perfect layout. A couple of picnic tables on the grass, the barbecue on the sand. There were some guys playing football off to the side, and David itched to join them.

He froze on the spot when he saw who was there. He didn’t know Jonas knew Amira’s brothers. Omar and Essam kicked around the ball with Jonas and Abdi. This complicated matters, only because David knew they _knew_ but he hadn’t seen them in years. And he didn’t know if they would be assholes who outed him to the rest of his friends.

He fucking hoped not. That would not be the homecoming he envisioned for him and Matteo. Or ever. The thought of it was about to give him hives.

Matteo paused, looking over his shoulder when he noticed he didn’t have anyone at his side. “All’s good?” he asked.

“Of course.” He looked past Matteo to the rest of his friends, the gathering here for Jonas, Matteo’s best friend. It was not hard to feel genuine excitement for this. He pulled his mobile out of his pocket and held it up. “Someday, this will be a real camera. For now, a mobile.”

Matteo rolled his eyes but he grinned. “You have to record everything, don’t you?”

“For posterity,” David said. “Also, so we can show Jonas his surprised face.”

“Good idea,” Stella said gleefully. “He’s going to look like an idiot. I can’t wait.”

Matteo gave his little silent gesture—like a laugh that didn’t have sound, but his shoulders shook for a microsecond. Then he tilted his head. “Come. Let’s go surprise him.”

An eagle-owl flew over head, and circled down low.

“Kathrin!” Stella said, in a hiss that was probably supposed to be a whisper but it was a little loud. “Shhhh!”

Matteo tilted his head up, and held one finger to his lips. Kathrin, Jonas’ daemon, didn’t say anything either way, but circled back to their group of friends. It didn’t look as though she alerted Jonas of anything though, as he continued trying to get the football from Essam.

They approached the group at the lake side, David recording it, with Matteo speaking to the camera. “Today, we surprise Jonas, since he thinks we’re stuck on our trip. How to get their attention, though?” He hefted the basket of gas station presents in front of him.

David swung the mobile down as Stella started singing loudly. “Happy Birthday to you!”

Matteo laughed, and so did David, but they quickly joined in. Even Jasmine started singing, her smooth voice adding a rich quality to their otherwise lame attempt to sound remotely good.

Their group of friends turned to them with their attention caught, and there were cheers and happy smiles. Jonas stopped running after the football. 

“Hey!” Jonas said, arms out in surprise. “What’s this?”

David and Matteo and Stella and Jasmine kept singing, and some others joined in, especially the little group of daemons lounging in the shade under a nearby tree. As they approached the bench, Jonas came around to greet them. With a flourish at the end of the song, Matteo dropped to his knees and held out the basket.

“Surprise,” Matteo said, with his soft voice and cheeky grin. “Got you the best present.” 

David zoomed in on Jonas face and he couldn’t keep from laughing. Jonas looked amazed, and surprised, and happy.

“So I see,” Jonas said. He looked through the cellophane at the toilet brush. “It is all I ever wanted.” It was clear by his smile what he really meant.

David pocketed his mobile and greeted his friends, noticing Amira handing the barbecue tongs to a handsome guy with amazing hair David could only dream of having, and she came over to the group. Matteo greeted her happily with one of their little evolving handshakes. David turned to give Sam, Kiki, and Hanna a big hug each. Hanna introduced him to her new guy she was seeing, some blond guy named Stefan wearing glasses and wearing swim trunks with a button up shirt. A tiny ginger coloured pomeranian daemon hopped around his feet.

David greeted him politely, and wondered if he could distract Matteo a little. Matteo already didn’t like the guy, just from what he’d been told in the ok.cool. group chat, and they hadn’t even met yet.

When Matteo was done his greeting with Amira, and turned back to Jonas, David slid over to give her a high-five. 

“How was your trip? Did you get homesick at all?” she asked.

“It was amazing. It was… so good,” he said.

She raised an eyebrow. “And you didn’t want to kill Matteo.”

“Only a little,” he said cheerfully, and she laughed. “Apparently he and Stella don’t do well in the heat, and now he won’t let the subject of climate change go.”

“It’s an actual thing, David!” Matteo yelled from nearby. “Don’t deny it like a denier.”

“I’m not,” he said with a roll of his eyes.

Now Amira raised an eyebrow at Matteo. “You never cared about sciences before.”

“Biology, no,” Matteo said. But they all knew that wasn’t entirely true. “But… the earth! Come on. We only have one.” He got distracted by Hanna before he could go on about anything else, and raised an eyebrow at Stefan’s extended hand. Oh, great.

Amira turned to David, astonished. “What happened to him?”

“Sunburned,” David said flatly, though he winked. “Badly.”

“Did it fry his brain?” she asked.

“Can’t fry what’s not there,” Jasmine said as she walked by David. Her tail swished and the end of it wrapped around his wrist for a moment. Stella, still on her back, cackled so hard she almost fell to the sand. 

Everyone seemed sufficiently distracted, so David leaned in to speak lowly to Amira. He kept what he hoped was a pleasant look on his face, but the tone of his voice belayed differently. “Your brothers are here.”

“Yes,” she said, and rolled her eyes. “They have somehow started intermingling with my friends and I don’t know how that happened.”

“Hmm.” His gaze wandered again, over to where Omar and Essam were kicking around the ball. “Great.”

“Don’t worry,” she said quietly. “They won’t say anything.”

“Okay,” David said, not entirely sure if he should believe it. But it was his default, to get defensive. He’d been lucky at his new school, with his new friends, that he hadn’t been outed. It didn’t mean it would never happen. 

“Don’t worry, friend,” Amira said. “They’ve grown up since you last saw them. Promise.” They watched as Essam laughed loudly and tried to show off, trying to keep the ball away from Abdi. She sighed. “Well, maybe not in all ways.”

He smiled, not quite comfortable enough with their presence to laugh at her joke, but he trusted Amira. He didn’t know if he could trust her brothers, but he trusted that she believed it would be fine. Sometimes, that’s all you could hope for.

He was distracted by Matteo coming over to him, leaning against him. “All’s good?” Matteo asked. 

David leaned his head against Matteo’s. “Yup, all’s good. Hungry?”

“Starving,” Matteo said, his hand catching David’s.

Amira scrunched up her nose, though her eyes were full of humour. “You spend twenty-four seven together for a month, and you don’t want to kill each other? How’d that happen?”

“No idea,” David said.

“Because I’m awesome. Obviously,” Matteo said. He tugged David’s hand, muttering, “Huuuungry.” They headed to the barbecue, Jasmine on their heels with Stella asking Matteo to pick her up. He scooped her from Jasmine expertly and put her on his shoulders. Matteo glanced back as he did for a quick second. “Stefan?”

“Yeah?” David said.

“I don’t like him.”

David laughed at the predictability. “You’ve known him for three seconds.”

“Too much. Why is he even here?”

“He and Hanna are seeing each other?”

“Poor form,” Matteo said, frowning. “Bringing your new dude to your ex-boyfriend’s birthday.”

“Are they official? I thought they just started dating,” David said. “Plus, she did ask Jonas if it was okay.” Before Matteo had a chance to answer or make further complaints, the handsome guy at the barbecue greeted them.

“Hello, boys! I believe a welcome home is in order,” he said with a smile.

“Who’re you?” Matteo asked bluntly.

“Mohammed,” he said. An owl daemon flew overhead, but it wasn’t Kathrin, and David didn’t recognize her at all. Possibly she belonged to Mohammed. He hooked a thumb over his shoulder. “Friends with the Mahmood brothers.”

“Ah,” David said. He stuck out his hand. “David.”

Mohammed took it and firmly shook it, smiling at David as if… as if he didn’t know. As if David was just another guy he was meeting. 

“Matteo,” Matteo said, nodding at him. He pointed to the grill. “Can we take?”

“As you’d like,” Mohammed said with an expansive gesture. As if it was a grand display of food rather than some burned patties on one side. He pointed with the tongs. “Omar did those. They are meatless.”

“Food’s food,” Matteo said with a shrug. 

“There’s a spread over there too,” Stella whispered to Matteo. “I bet Kiki brought fruit.”

“I bet she did,” Matteo said, and focused instead on his own burger because he was a bit of a dick sometimes when he felt like teasing her. Stella turned her little head to David.

“On it,” David said to her.

“Thank you, _David_ ,” Stella said. Matteo ignored her in favour of grabbing a plate and a bun. “This is why you are my actual favourite.”

“Hey,” Matteo said, mildly protesting.

“I am the best,” David said with a smug grin. Matteo scrunched his nose at him. David asked, “Anything for you?”

“A drink?” Matteo asked.

“I’ll see what they have,” David said.

“Beers are over there,” Mohammed said. David startled, almost forgetting someone else was even there. Mohammed’s eyes flitted between David, Matteo, Stella, and even Jasmine who had come to David’s side. He looked rather fascinated. He pointed again. “And there’s some non-alcoholic drinks over there.”

“Beer,” Matteo said, even though he hadn’t had to. “Burger?”

“Yup,” David said, and Matteo grabbed a second bun and put it on his plate. He’d know how to make it right. “Be right back,” David said. He wandered over toward the cooler, and Jasmine stayed with a careful eye on the new guy they didn’t know. 

“Actually,” he heard Matteo say, and he turned to see Matteo looking down at Jasmine. “You should go spy on Stefan.” 

_You don’t have to_ , David said to her through their link. She didn’t even respond, instead casually stalking to the main group.

“Wait!” Stella said. Matteo crouched down a little so she could safely jump off, and she scurried after Jasmine. They might not be able to go quite as far now, but there was no way Jasmine would leave Stella behind. 

Mohammed laughed, delighted, then he said something to Matteo, though David didn’t hear what. It probably had something to do with their daemons. They’d gotten comments on their ridiculousness—or sometimes the offer of free food, or sometimes rides to the next town—all summer because of them. 

As David approached the cooler, he saw two cat daemons sitting next to it. They were not big cats, like Jasmine, but smaller domestic ones. One a grey and white tabby that was small and scruffy, and the other was bigger and tough looking, a mix of white and black patchwork. Neither were as regal as Abasi, Amira’s daemon. But David was slightly familiar with the daemons that belonged with Essam and Omar. At least, he knew who they belonged to. 

He shouldn’t have been as surprised as he was that Omar met him at the cooler. 

“David,” Omar said. “Long time.”

Omar tried to be discreet, clearly, which made him not discreet at all. His eyes quickly flitted over David’s face, his hair, and over his clothes—clothes, David tried to convince himself, not his body. It had been a long time since David and Omar had seen each other, years even, and David had changed a lot in that time. 

At least Omar had called him David.

Omar smiled and held out his hand. David wished his palm wasn’t as sweaty as it was, but he took it and gave a nod. “Omar.”

“I heard you were gone on a trip,” Omar said. 

“Yes, I was. With Matteo,” David said, tilting his head up confidently. If Omar knew about the trip, then he must have known that David and Matteo were together. And David would not be uncomfortable with that, he didn’t care who he was talking to.

“Cool.” Omar waited for David to elaborate. When David didn’t, he asked, “Good time?”

“Yeah, really good,” David said, nodding. He fell silent again. When it was on just this side of awkward—a lot awkward—he opened the cooler and grabbed the first two beers he saw, not caring what kind they were. “I should get back.”

“How’s Laura,” Omar asked quickly.

David blinked at him. This was not a question he was expecting. “She’s… good,” David said, unsure what else to say.

Omar and Laura were the same age, and they were both eight years older than David and Amira. They’d had gone to high school together, the one that David had attended before he transferred in his last year but that Amira had never been to. Omar and Laura been friends and in their Abi year they’d secretly tried to be more, because it wouldn’t have been approved of by Omar’s family, especially his mother. They stayed under the guise of friends, but it proved too difficult to make happen.

When they tried again, a few years before, it had gone better. Until it hadn’t, and they were in the same mess again.

Laura had told him all this after David had spoken to Amira about transferring schools. He didn’t know how much Amira actually knew, so they’d never talked about it.

“That’s good,” Omar said. “I’m glad she’s… good.”

David blinked again. “Yes.” 

Suddenly, Jasmine was at his side again, without Stella. She sat primly, yet on guard, and towered over the other domestic cats that were observing the scene.

 _Show off,_ he thought to her, though he felt significantly better to have her there.

“What’s taking so long,” Essam said, crashing the awkward silence. He threw an arm around Omar’s shoulders. He noticed David and nodded at him. “Who’s your new friend here, Omar? Hey, I’m Essam.”

It had been quite some time since David had seen Essam, and he’d known him the least out of the Mahmood siblings. But this, actually… this pleased David in a way he wouldn’t quite be able to explain.

“This is David,” Omar said. “You know. Laura’s brother.”

“Laura’s broth— Oh, right!” Essam stuck out his hand, seemingly not even paying attention to the large tiger that was eyeing him as if she should perhaps bite his ankles. “Hey, man. I am under strict orders from Amira not to be an asshole.”

“You’re doing a great job,” Omar said dryly.

“Hey, what? What did I do?” Essam elbowed Omar, and then Omar dragged him down into a headlock, and then there was a sort of scuffling in a way that only brothers could do.

“David!” Matteo called out. David glanced over and saw him sitting on the bench holding a paper plate. Jonas was next to him with the basket they’d got him from the gas station. “You want your burger or what?”

The Mahmood brothers continued wrestling with each other, and this was the perfect opportunity to escape without any further awkwardness, so David brought the beers and stopped quickly at the spread to stick some fruit on a small plate for Stella. He joined the others at the bench.

Matteo took a beer and David put the fruit plate down on the bench. Stella launched off Matteo’s lap and landed right on it, causing Jonas, who was at the far end of the bench, to laugh. Kathrin perched on the back of the bench, and watched Stella, perhaps fondly. It was hard to tell with some daemons. 

David sat down, and Matteo immediately leaned back against him. Heat be damned, apparently.

“So, you going to open that or not?” Matteo asked. “We worked hard at picking it out for you.”

“You picked it up last minute on the way,” Jonas said cheerfully. 

“Yup,” David said, taking a big bite of burger. It was fantastic. Props to Mohammed. He glanced over at the barbecue area again, and saw Sam speaking to him. She ran her fingers through his wavy hair. Huh.

He turned his attention back to Jonas, who pulled the items out one-by-one. Matteo filmed it on his mobile, and Jonas spoke like he was putting on a presentation.

Finally, Jonas cracked and started laughing, shaking his head. “Why are you recording this?”

“David films everything,” Matteo said. 

Both Jonas and David rolled their eyes. Jonas said, “But David isn’t doing it right now.”

Matteo shrugged. “Habit. Spent too much time with Mr. Director, I guess.”

“Ah, yes. Now that you’re back, you’ll be working on your film application?” Jonas asked. 

“That’s the plan,” David said. “I finally have an idea.”

“And it’s an amazing idea,” Matteo said.

“But it’s not vampires,” Stella said sadly. She took a huge bite of a berry, her cheeks puffing out.

“No, it is not,” he said. Stella had liked that idea the best, because she knew how much he liked movies with them.

“This was an option?” Jonas asked, amused. 

“It was in consideration,” David said, nodding. “But there was one set-back.”

“What’s that?”

“Lighting,” David and Matteo said in unison. Jonas laughed. David added, “I don’t have access to enough good equipment right now. My mobile is good enough, and my sister’s boyfriend is going to lend me his gimbal to film better. But I needed a story I could shoot during the day.”

“So what’s the alternative?”

“Aliens!” Stella said, suddenly more excited. “Because we were star-gazing and the idea came to him.”

He smiled fondly at her. It was true—the four of them had been laying on a blanket in a field outside of Fürstenberg, watching the stars. They’d been chatting about David’s project, and he brought up needing to find something else other than vampires that he could transfer his outlier story to. As Matteo pointed out a shooting star, Jasmine and Stella had said together, “Aliens!” and the story clicked into place.

“Awesome,” Jonas said, bemused.

“And you’re still good on our deal?” David asked, raising an eyebrow. They’d all kept in touch over chat, and Jonas had asked him for help on a project, so he’d asked for help in return.

Jonas held up the toilet brush as if he was making an oath. “You designed those awesome posters for the Soliparty. I will write music for your film.”

“It doesn’t have to be much,” David said. “Simple. Something to set the mood.”

“I can definitely come up with something,” Jonas said. “We’ll meet soon to discuss, yes?”

“Deal,” David said. He watched Stella, who was still munching on some fruit. She pushed a berry across the plate and Jasmine licked it up with her big tongue. 

“Woo,” Matteo said, barely holding two fists in the air in the laziest cheer David had ever seen.

“Ace effort,” Jonas said.

“It’s too hot out,” Matteo complained.

“You’re right, get off me,” David said, and elbowed Matteo in the back. Matteo made a noise but at least he sat up.

“Jonas,” Matteo said. “Did you know the earth is on fucking fire?”

“Yes,” Jonas said. 

“Well, I’m going to do something about it,” Matteo said.

Jonas raised his eyebrows at him, and then glanced at David, then back to Matteo. “Are you?”

“Yup. You have your politics and fundraisers, and I have listened to you rant about all that for years,” Matteo said. “Including the climate and I should have done something sooner. So I will now.”

“That’s great, Matteo.” Jonas turned to David and raised an eyebrow. “Did he fry his brain this summer?”

Stella laughed so hard she almost choked on a berry.

**

After joining in on a bit of football, and after another round of Happy Birthday with the cake being cut, and group photos on the beach, some of the party guests started to strip down a little so they could go into the water.

Kiki, Hanna, and Sam all went in. Jonas and Abdi swan to the slide in the middle of the lake. Matteo went out onto the dock to take some video at Jonas’ request.

David stayed on the shore, sitting in the sand with a beer in hand. Jasmine sat beside him. “You could go out there, if you want,” David said to her. She might like a cooldown too. Or at least join Matteo and Stella on the dock. 

“I’m good,” she said. He smiled and put his hand on her side. It was too hot for a cuddle with all her warm fur, but he appreciated that she stayed.

He looked up as Amira joined him, Abasi on her heels. She sat down next to David, and Abasi kept to the other side, as far away from Jasmine as possible. Jasmine didn’t acknowledge either of them, which was no surprise, but he wished she’d get over her past grudge a little better. _Just don’t antagonize him_ , he said through their link. She didn’t reply.

“You’re not going to join any more than I am, are you?” Amira asked.

He shook his head.

“I don’t have my burkini here,” Amira said. “I don’t know why I didn’t think to bring it.”

“You were here earlier this week, yeah?” he asked. “I saw your pics on Insta.”

“We had a nice day here,” she said, but didn’t elaborate. 

“And Australia?” He turned and grinned at her. “You’re really leaving us for a year to go?”

“I am,” she said, happy. “I can’t wait. I think it’ll be amazing.”

“I’m sure it will,” he said. “We’ll miss you, but I’m happy for you. An amazing experience to have.”

“Thanks,” she said. They went quiet for a moment as they watched their friends scream and yell and splash each other. “Do you think you’ll end up telling them?”

She didn’t have to clarify what. He knew exactly what she meant.

“I’ve been thinking about it,” he said. “Matteo thinks the guys will be fine with it. They might end up asking ‘dumb questions’.” He put it into quotation marks with his fingers, trying to imitate Matteo. She laughed. “But it wouldn’t be from a mean place. That’s what he said, anyway.”

She watched as Abdi went down the slide. “I think he’s right. I know the girls would be fine with it.” She paused for a moment. “Kiki might be a little—”

“Forward?” he suggested.

“I was going to say insensitive, but maybe forward is correct. She’s just like that until she understands something. Or learns about it?” She tilted her head side-to-side. “Then again, she's so different when I first met her.”

“People change,” he said. He hadn’t experienced a ton of that in his life, but it had to be true. Everyone was evolving, even himself. Especially himself.

“Our friends are good people,” Amira said. Her eyes followed Sam. “They’d never intentionally hurt any of us.”

“They would not,” David agreed. He wondered if this had anything to do with Mohammed and his hair. “But that doesn’t mean—I don’t _have_ to tell them, if I don’t want.”

“Of course not,” Amira said. “Whatever you’re most comfortable with.”

“Yeah,” he said. There was something along those lines that he thought of. “Is your gym good? I saw that on Insta too.” He elbowed her. “Boxer, huh? Are you going to kick someone’s ass?”

“I might,” she said with a laugh. “I really like it. Why?”

He gnawed on his bottom lip again and shrugged. “I miss working out, and now that I’m back from the trip I need to find a routine. Now I don’t have P.E. class, so I have to find an alternative. It’s just…” He trailed off. How does he say, _I need to find somewhere I can change in private_ , or _I need to find somewhere where other gym goers aren’t fucking assholes_. He doesn’t have the security of a school who committed to discreetly provide private facilities. 

“I mean, I think it’s great, and you always have the option of going around to gyms and checking them out, the equipment and the facilities, when you want. What if you did that?” she suggested. “Find a few in the area and go and check them out, and see if any work.”

He nodded. That was the plan. It’d just be nice if he _knew_ , but he couldn’t ask anyone to make that decision for him.

“Why don’t you come and meet me one day?” she said. “My brothers work out there too. So you’d know people, ones who could—” she trailed off. She didn’t seem to know how to say whatever it was she was trying to say. He got that. She frowned. “They were okay today, right? I told them not to be assholes.”

He shook his head. “They were fine. Essam didn’t even recognise me at first. So if he meant to be an asshole, he missed the moment.” 

“Okay, good,” she said, and sighed in relief. Her name was called and she glanced over to where said brothers and Mohammed stood. The barbecue was packed and they were next to one of the coolers. “Looks like we’re off,” she said. “We’ll talk soon?”

“For sure,” he said. She stood, brushing sand from her clothes, and she and Abasi walked towards her brothers.

David glanced back out at the lake, and he saw that Matteo was coming in from the dock, Stella scurrying a little ahead of him. David stood, brushing the sand off his pants, and he and Jasmine went to meet with his boyfriend and his daemon. 

**

“Wait,” Stella said from her spot on Matteo’s shoulders. The party had wound down, and since David and Matteo weren’t swimming they decided to take their leave. They’d said goodbye to everyone, with a promise to see them soon, and started to walk across the park. They would have to go separate ways to catch different busses home. 

“Wait,” Stella said again. She looked at David. “We’re not going to spend tonight with you guys?”

“No, Stellabella,” David said gently.

“But… we always do,” Stella said. 

Matteo reached up and scooped her to his chest. She wiggled so she looked outward, at David and at Jasmine. 

“It is weird,” Matteo said. “Not going home with you tonight.”

“We’re going to Pride _tomorrow_ ,” David reminded him. “We’re meeting before the parade, remember?”

“I know,” Matteo said, rolling his eyes. “Still.”

“Still,” David agreed. It would be weird. They’d been together every night for over a month. It was going to be their first time apart, really apart, since they’d left Berlin. “You need to go meet your new roommate,” David said. 

“Temporary flatmate,” Matteo said.

David shrugged. “However long she’s there, you should meet her. And I need to see my sister.” She hadn’t been home when they’d got into Berlin and dropped their bags off at David’s flat. Matteo was going to go home now without his, not really needing it since he had his keys and wallet on him.

Matteo smiled, and David knew that smile was more for David than anything else. “I know. Tell her hello for me, okay?”

“Of course,” David said.

“Stella,” Matteo said quietly, “can I put you down for a minute?”

Stella huffed, but David could tell it was all for show. “ _Fine_.” Matteo kissed the top of her head and put her down. Stella immediately scuttled over to Jasmine, where she put her two front paws on one of Jasmine’s big ones. David didn’t see what happened, because next he knew, he had arms full of Matteo. Matteo hugged him, held him close, and pushed his face against David’s neck. David leaned his head against Matteo’s.

“Thanks for an amazing summer,” Matteo said.

David laughed. “It’s not over yet.” He pulled away, and cupped Matteo’s cheeks in his hands. He gave him a quick kiss—they might be in public, even if they were somewhat hidden in the trees, but if they were hugging so close then this would be okay too. “There is a lot of summer left.”

“I know,” Matteo said. “But it’s already been the best one yet.”

“It has.” David kissed his cheek, but then playfully pushed Matteo away, because if he didn’t he might not ever let go. Matteo allowed it, falling back a couple steps and putting his hands up to the chest, as if he’d been shot right in the heart. “But I will see you tomorrow and we’ll keep on with the best summer, okay?”

“Deal,” Matteo said. He bent over to scoop up Stella, who’d followed his wayward steps and was practically on his shoes now. Stella was lifted to his shoulders. Matteo looked down and smiled at Jasmine. “Bye, Jasmine.” He looked up and nodded at David, a gesture that reminded David of Essam trying to be cool. “Later, bro.”

David snorted in spite of himself. “Bro. Later.”

Matteo scrunched his nose but made a kiss face, and that…well, that was okay then. “Bye.” David said, rolling his eyes. Then he smiled softly at Stella, because he was pretty much incapable of doing anything else. “Bye, Stellabella. See you tomorrow.”

“Promise?” she asked.

“Promise,” he said firmly.

“Okay. Bye, David. Bye, Jasmine.”

With that, Matteo turned and walked toward the bus he needed to catch to make it back to his flat. David didn’t even feel sad or lonely to see him go, because this wasn’t goodbye.

“It doesn’t feel like before,” Jasmine said.

David reached down and put his hand lightly on the top of her head, between her ears. “What do you mean?”

“Before you got together, for real. It was always sad when we had to leave them. Because it was all messy and we didn’t know if we’d see them again.” If she could shrug, she probably would. “But now. Now they’re here, and they’re ours, and we’ll see them tomorrow.”

David smiled down at her. “My thoughts exactly.”

“I know,” she said haughtily. “I was just agreeing with them.”

He playfully tugged on one of her ears. “Come on,” he said. “Let’s go see Laura.”

This got her moving quickly, and David felt the same.

**

“And you didn’t want to kill him?” Laura asked, smiling over her glass of iced tea.

David laughed. “Why does everyone keep asking that?”

She put her glass down. “Because it’s hard for most people to believe they could spend so much time with someone and not want to cause them any bodily harm at some point.”

“Plus,” Jasmine said from her cushion in the corner of the kitchen, “Matteo is a bit of an idiot.”

Marwin, Laura’s raven daemon, cackled from his perch on the kitchen counter. Laura pursed her lips together to keep from smiling. 

It really was good to be home.

“Hey,” David said mildly to Jasmine. “You adore him.”

Jasmine did not deny this. Instead, she said, “It was an amazing trip. I’m very glad it happened. And that it happened with Stella and Matteo.”

David crooked up the corner of his mouth. “Yeah,” he agreed. “Me too.”

“You are so smitten,” Laura said. She smiled and put her hand on David’s arm. “It really is nice to see.”

“Enough about me,” David said. He put his hand on hers and lifted her eyebrows. “How’re you? How are you and Simon?” Simon was the man Laura had been with since the new year, and David suspected it was getting more serious than Laura was about to admit.

“Oh, you know,” she said, waving a hand dismissively. She couldn’t hide the smile that lit up her eyes though. “It’s going very well.”

“Very well?” David asked, dryly. “That’s it? Are you—“ David made ridiculous finger quotes and made a face “—‘smitten’?” 

Laura laughed. Marwin flew from the counter and landed right in front of Laura. She reached out and stroked the back of her finger down his head, smiling fondly. “I suppose.”

“And Marwin? He gets along with Simon’s daemon?”

“He does,” Laura agreed.

“Always makes things easier,” David said. He paused for a moment, and wondered if he should bring it up. Or if the timing was bad. He decided to go ahead with it. “I saw Omar today.”

Laura’s eyebrows raised. “Did you?”

David nodded. “Yeah. He and Essam came to the park with Amira. He asked me how you were doing.”

“What did you say?”

“That you were doing good. That’s it, really. I didn’t talk to him much.” David sighed. “I was worried he or Essam were going to out me.”

“That wouldn’t be Omar’s style,” Laura said. She sounded confident. She might not have seen him in a while, and David had no idea when the last time they’d spoken was, but she believed this about him. Just as Amira had.

“Neither of them did,” David said. “It was kinda awkward though. But I hadn’t seen them for a while.” He grinned. “Essam didn’t even recognize me.”

“Take that as a positive,” Laura said.

“I did.”

There was a moment of comfortable silence. Laura didn’t ask anything else of Omar, and David knew then, truly knew, that she was at peace with a relationship that was long over. And she was happy in a new one. He admired her for that.

Jasmine yawned, rather loudly. Her head was down on her paws and her eyes were closed. That meant one of two things—she was just chillin, or she was exhausted.

Suddenly, David couldn’t hold in a yawn of his own. 

“You must be exhausted,” Laura said. “The end of such a long and busy trip will leave you wanting a vacation from your vacation.”

David couldn’t lie, especially not to Laura, but he shouldn’t to himself right now. It had been a long few weeks—a great few weeks—with periods of downtime, especially when they were in Fürstenberg and Italy, but they’d been so busy. The last week especially, as if they were trying to fit in everything they could, knowing they were returning to Berlin shortly. His limbs felt heavy and his rib cage restricted under his binder and he suddenly wanted nothing more than to lay down in his own bed, comfortably stretch out in space that was his own, and sleep.

He yawned again, nodding as he did. “Yeah, I think it’s catching up with us.”

“I can do a load of your laundry if you grab me your clothes,” Laura said. She stood and took her glass and David’s empty one from in front of him.

“Oh my god, that would be amazing,” David said, standing. Jasmine apparently wasn’t ready to get up, or perhaps she would spend the night in the kitchen on her favourite cushion that she clearly missed. She, too, after spending so much time in small spaces with other people and daemons so close, might just want the space tonight. “All my clothes stink.”

“When was the last time they were washed?”

“Properly and not in a hostel bathroom sink?” David asked. “No idea, can’t remember. Probably when we were in Italy but that was a couple weeks ago.” 

She scrunched up her nose. “Go, get them for me.”

David went to his room and opened his backpack. He didn’t even have very many changes of clothes with him, but he dumped out the pants, shirts, shorts, and boxers that had made it back from the trip all into one pile. He made sure that his two dance tops were in it—skin tight and cut at the midriff like his binder, they were like a sports bra but a compression design to keep the chest flat and still. He didn’t like them nearly as much as his binder, but they helped elevate binder pain, and were good to use for exercise and sex and just lazing around the house when a binder wasn’t absolutely necessary but he couldn’t stand to be without _something_ at least. 

He took a look at Matteo’s unopened backpack and bit the inside of his lip, considering. Then he shrugged, took Matteo’s clothes from it—it wasn’t as if they hadn’t shared clothes and space and everything for weeks—and added them to the pile.

He dug around in his chest of drawers and found a t-shirt that hadn’t made it on the trip and didn’t have the faint stale aroma of travel and hot summer to it, and slipped it on, along with clean boxers. He already felt a million times better. 

There was a soft knock on the door. 

“Come in,” David said, and Laura opened the door. David scooped up the clothes from the floor and handed them to her. “Thanks,” he said gratefully. 

“Your binder?” Laura asked.

David hated being without it in front of anyone, although he felt the most comfortable in front of her, and now Matteo. But he was oddly weird about its cleaning and upkeep—he preferred to take care of it himself.

“It was washed not too long ago, it’ll be okay,” he said. “I’ll do it tomorrow when I get back.”

“Get back?” Laura asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“Yes. Matteo and I are going to Pride—” Her laughs cut him off. “What?”

“Nothing, nothing.” She looked so fond. “Just… didn’t you just spend over a month with him? You can’t take more than twenty-four hours apart?”

“It’s _Pride_ ,” he said. “I have to go to my first Pride with my boyfriend.”

She raised one hand defensively, the entire stack of clothes nearly falling. “Of course, of course, I’m sorry I even suggested otherwise.”

“As you should be,” he said. He threw himself onto his bed, stomach down. He grabbed a pillow and pulled it under his head. “I’m excited to sleep.”

Laura picked at a shirt and held it up. It was a button up with small grey and black tile designs and splashes of powder blue flowers. “Did you get this somewhere?” It wasn’t typically David’s style, though he had worn it before.

“It’s Matteo’s,” David said. “Hope you don’t mind, his clothes are there too.”

“Of course they are,” she said. At least she didn’t sound angry. “I’ll leave the door open for Jasmine.”

“Thanks,” David said. 

“I’m good,” Jasmine said as she came through the door. She stalked past Laura, and past David’s bed, and plopped down on her cushion in the corner of their room. 

“Have a good rest,” Laura said. She juggled the clothes and let herself out of the room.

David and Jasmine were asleep in a matter of no time at.

**

“Shit, my boyfriend’s hot,” Matteo said loudly, eyeing David as he approached. They met up outside the durum shop as planned. David smirked at him. It was Pride—he’d put in a little effort, and given Matteo’s reaction, it had been a good idea.

Stella whistled as best as a little ferret could—which wasn’t great, so she ended with a, “Woo! Now put me down.”

There was a crowd of people milling about on the street. The parade wasn’t going to start for nearly half an hour, but everyone was getting into spirit. There was loud EDM playing from speakers nearby, and pride flags hung everywhere.

Matteo took Stella from his shoulder and held her in front of him, but he scrunched his nose as he looked around at the crowd. There were too many people for her to just run loose, just like so many of the places they’d visited on their trip. He didn't have the pouch on to carry her in.

Jasmine went up to him. “I’ll take her,” Jasmine said. Matteo looked grateful, and put Stella on Jasmine’s back. They’d perfected the move over the summer, so that Matteo could put her down or pick her up, and there was no chance of accidentally touching Jasmine. They’d all broken that barrier just the once, and doing it again in a crowd of people would be inappropriate.

Matteo turned to David and let out a little, “Woo,” that had matched Stella’s.

“Asshole,” Stella said from her perch on Jasmine.

David laughed as he pulled Matteo into a hug. It felt good to hold him, feel him, even though as Laura had so helpfully pointed out, it’d been less than twenty-four hours since they’d seen each other. 

David pulled his head away, arms still around Matteo. He pushed Matteo’s hair off his forehead. “Looking good, Florenzi.” 

Matteo was wearing a white shirt that looked like it had little paint splatters all over it, and a pair of khaki shorts, and his feet shoved into a pair of his runners with no socks. To be honest, he looked like he did every other day—like he made no effort whatsoever. Which was probably likely, but he still looked amazing. 

Matteo ran the back of his fingers over the top of David’s arm. David was in black shorts and a black tank, more of his arms on display than usual. “I like this look,” Matteo said. He leaned in and kissed David’s skin, right next to his sleeve.

“Cuties,” someone hollered as they walked by.

Matteo laughed his little quiet laugh along with David’s. David pursed his lips together and tilted his head at Matteo.

Matteo was more than a little affectionate—when they were together in privacy, or in a comfortable space like either one of their flats, or around their friends like the day before. They’d traipsed all over Europe this summer, and while the affection was there when it was comfortable and safe, they tended to keep their hands off each other in public, or were selective, like their goodbyes the evening before, hidden in a copse of trees.

This, though. This was different. 

Matteo leaned in for a kiss, and unlike when he was usually in public and paused for a quick second to give David the time to pull away, he went forward and pressed a kiss to David’s lips. David happily kissed him back. It was amazing.

“Okay, okay,” Stella said, complaining. “Can we go see some of the festivities?”

Matteo pulled away with a roll of his eyes but David couldn’t help but laugh. He couldn’t keep the smile off his face. He darted a quick kiss to Matteo’s lips again, and took Matteo’s hand in his, their fingers automatically linking together. 

“Let’s do this,” David said, and they wandered into the crowd.

**

It was an amazing time. Matteo kept close to David as they made it through the ever thickening crowd. Someone handed them little Pride flags to wave around. Matteo put the stick in the back pocket of his baggy shorts.

“From this angle,” Stella said from the top of Jasmine’s head, where they stood a couple feet away, “it looks like you’re shitting a rainbow. Very appropriate.”

Jasmine laughed, louder than she usually did, and Stella looked so proud of herself.

“Who’s the asshole?” Matteo said, rolling his eyes.

David laughed and put his arm around Matteo, pulling his close so that they were flush up to each other, chest to chest. David stuck his hand down the back of Matteo’s pocket. “From this angle,” David said, “you look fucking amazing.”

“This is why you’re my favourite,” Matteo said, smirking. He put two of his fingers under David’s chin, and kissed David.

“Oh my goooooood,” a familiar screech came from the crowd. David looked over and saw Hans. He was wearing a bright pink wig with leopard print pants and glitter all over the place. Fran the parrot, with her bright red and multi-coloured plumage, was perched on his shoulder and only added to the whole fabulous look.

Hans shook his finger at the two of them. “An extended trip, and you two still aren’t sick of each other?” He clapped his hands together. “Butterfly, it really is love!”

“Hi, Hans,” Matteo said. He tried to keep his voice neutral but obviously was happy to see his flatmate. “Looking good.”

Hans waved a finger up and down, indicating Matteo’s… everything. “I told you you should have let me dress you. Look at this hot boy you’re with. You could have made an effort.”

“From this angle,” David said against Matteo’s cheek, and Matteo laughed. But then David let go of Matteo long enough to accept a hug from Hans, Fran having glided down so that she was on the ground next to Jasmine and Stella.

“Good to see you,” David said.

“Tell me, is this babies’ first Pride?” Hans asked, looking from Matteo and David.

Matteo nodding, and so did David.

Hans clapped his hands enthusiastically. “I’m so happy you’re here together. Oh!” He looked past them and must’ve seen someone he knew—David had a feeling Hans knew many in the community. “Hi! Hi, Love. Boys,” he said, turning back to David and Matteo. “Have an amazing Pride!” He pulled them both into a hug at the same time. Matteo huffed and barely patted Hans’ back, but David could tell he appreciated it.

“Bye, Hans,” David said.

“See you later at home,” Matteo said.

“Doubtful, Butterfly. This is Pride.” With a wave, Hans was gone as quick as he’d been there.

David and Matteo turned to look at each other, and then they started laughing.

“Good guy,” David said.

“Yeah,” Matteo said with a roll of his eyes, but he wasn’t fooling anyone with that little smile of his. He took David’s hand again. “Okay, come on. Let’s go enjoy—“ he made a slight mocking noise of it “—this Pride thing.”

**

The thing was, it really was a good day. It was bright and loud and colourful, and David couldn’t help but get into it. He waved his flag and stood on his toes to try and see better. He scolded Matteo more than once for recording him.

“This is all your influence,” Matteo said, laughing. “You deal with it.”

Stella had demanded to be up on Matteo’s shoulders so she could see better. Having a tiger daemon in the lead was a good way to part the crowd and get to wherever they wanted to go. 

They liked the signs they saw. They liked seeing same sex couples together and happy. The drag queens were bright and colourful and tried to get a laugh out of everyone. David laughed when one with long red hair pinched Matteo’s cheek, even when he tried to duck away at first. He eventually just gave up and let her do it. 

“Keep your eyes on this one,” she said to Matteo, pointing at David. “He’s too handsome for his own good.”

“Agreed,” Matteo said with a smirk. “But I’m not worried. We’re solid.”

“Very,” David said, nodding in agreement.

“Oh, lovers, how sweet,” she said, winking at them both and taking off with a flourish.

“How sweet, lovers,” Stella said in a high-pitched voice.

“Stuff it,” Matteo said.

“Maybe not the best thing to say around here,” David said mildly. Matteo laughed so hard he had to bend over with his knees on his hands to keep from falling over.

Later in the parade, they saw a float that promoted transgender awareness. There were blue, white, and pink balloons everywhere, and the trans flags proudly waved. There were men and women, some clearly in transition, others who might have already been. Women with flat chests and men without flat chests, and others shirtless with obvious scar marks. There were couples, same sex and opposite sex. It was… it was a lot, but it was amazing. 

David stared at this float, something twisting in his stomach. It was hard to put a finger on it. It was hard to see some people so open and happy and he wondered what their lives were really like, outside of this beautiful little bubble. There was also a little twist of jealousy too, that here they were, in front of everyone to see.

But then Matteo put his arm around David’s waist from behind and hooked his chin over David’s shoulder. He kissed David’s neck.

“Maybe,” he said quietly into David’s ear, “we can be up there someday. When you’re ready. And only if you want.”

And then nothing but relief and happiness and love flooded through David. He did not need to be on that float, but he didn’t realize how much he needed to know his boyfriend’s thoughts on that. He turned in Matteo’s arms, grabbing his shoulders, and pulled him into a rough, intense kiss. And it didn’t matter that it was here, in the middle of the street with a crowd around them. It was okay.

“Love you,” David said against Matteo’s lips. They’d said it to each other before, of course, but David didn’t just throw the words around. They meant something. They meant everything. And they were the world right now. Matteo was the world.

“Love you back,” Matteo said. He kissed David, hands on his waist and curling into David’s shirt, as if he didn’t plan on ever letting go.


	2. August - Part 1

It was the night of the Soliparty, and after standing in front of his wardrobe for much too long, David finally pulled on a pair of clean jeans. He decided on one of his button up shirts with short sleeves, and he pulled it on over his binder, making sure it was buttoned right to the collar. Checking his hair in the mirror, he sighed and remained defeated. This was as good as it was going to get.

“It’s fine,” Jasmine said. She always said that. 

Grabbing his keys and wallet, he slipped on his shoes. “Bye, Laura!” David called as he headed to the door.

“Bye,” she called back.

David paused with his hand on the knob. He glanced down at Jasmine.

_Something is wrong,_ Jasmine said to him through their link. David could only agree.

David went to their little den, and Laura was on one of the chairs. Her feet were curled under her. She held a mug of tea, despite it being the middle of a hot summer, and she gave a wobbly smile over the top of it. This was a sure sign something was wrong. Marwin was perched on the back of the chair, but he leaned forward so that his little raven head rested on her neck.

“Have fun tonight,” she said. She sounded dreadful, and her eyes were rimmed red.

David frowned. “What’s wrong?” 

She shook her head. “Nothing, nothing.”

Clearly a lie. He plopped down in the other chair, only the small side table separating them. “Laura.”

One tear escaped and ran down her cheek. She brushed it away, but it was enough to make his heart break. This was Laura, his sister, his best friend. His rock. Seeing her upset was enough to upset him.

“What’s wrong?” He leaned forward, one hand on his knee while the other reached out for her. She stifled a sob when he lightly touched her arm. “Laura.”

“Simon,” she said, and another tear escaped. Marwin made a little squawking noise. “We got into a fight. I don’t—” She swallowed. “I don’t think we’re together anymore.”

It was not a good sign that it wasn’t clear to her whether or not she still had a boyfriend. Laura had once told him that if a relationship was on-and-off, and it was hard to tell if it was on or off, then it was definitely off and had little hope being on again. This could be because her and Omar’s relationship had been so complicated, but hers and Simon’s seemed so straight forward that this definitely wasn’t a good sign.

“Oh, Laura,” he said. He got up off the chair and went to her. He awkwardly leaned over, paying careful attention to where Marwin was, and the cup of hot tea she held, but they managed. She leaned forward and put one arm around his waist, and he hugged her for a long time. She silently sobbed, and he waited patiently until it petered off. That was all he could do.

She leaned back, finally putting down the mug, and wiped her cheeks with both hands. “Thank you. Sorry.” She shook her head, as if trying to shake off the bad feelings. He knew from experience that would not work.

“Don’t worry about it,” David said. He sat back down in the chair next to hers. “When you’re ready, you can tell me about it. But you don’t have to.”

She sighed. “I would like that, but you go to your event and maybe we can talk later.”

_We’re not going,_ Jasmine said to him through their connection. She had sat patiently in the corner this whole time, as if on guard, and he knew she would not be moved from that position for anything in the world. Not while Laura felt so badly, was so vulnerable. But that was okay, because David had no intention of leaving her.

Not after all she’s done for him. How she’s always been there for him. His rock. It was his turn.

“It’s fine,” David said. He pulled his mobile out of his pocket. “I’m not going out.”

“Oh, come now, you have—”

“I’m not,” David said. He looked at her determinedly. “We’re going to order awful food we’ll regret tomorrow, and curl up and watch a movie, or we will do whatever you want. But I’m not going out. You’ll just have to deal with it.”

She smiled softly. “Alright. I’d like that. Thank you.”

“Of course,” he said. He thumbed at his mobile. “I’ll just let Matteo know I won’t be meeting him tonight. He’ll understand.”

“Only if you’re sure.”

“I’m sure.”

**DAVID:**  
_Hey. Sorry, I won’t be able to make it. Laura and Simon got into a fight and she’s heartsick. I need to stay with her.  
19:34_

**MATTEO:**  
_Sucks. Give her a big hug for me.  
19:35_

**DAVID:**  
_I will.  
Talk to you later.  
19:35_

“There,” David said. “I let him know. He told me to give you a hug.” He glanced at her mug. “Now. Is that strong enough? Should we get something stronger?”

She laughed, a little watery but at least she did. “I think there’s beers in the fridge. That’s strong enough for me.”

He nodded. She wasn’t much of an emotional drinker, much preferring wine because she liked it. But beers would do.

They ordered some food and waited for it to be delivered. He leaned against the counter in the kitchen and she sat at the table in the chair by the window. Marwin was right there, on the table right by her hand, and every few minutes she would lightly pet his head.

David and Jasmine weren’t always affectionate—sometimes, yes, but Jasmine was rather independent. It was interesting, how daemons served different purposes, physically, at times. Especially since bird daemons could fly and were known to be able to get the best distance from their humans. But all humans were devoted to their daemons, no matter whether or not they could be picked up and cuddled close like, say, Stella could be.

Laura and Marwin were sad right now, and they would be extremely close for the foreseeable future. Marwin was not about to leave her side any time soon, not even to perch on the other side of the room.

“It was a fight over daemons,” Laura said, unexpectedly. As if she’d been reading David’s mind right then as he watched her and Marwin together.

“The daemons fought?” David asked, surprised.

“No, God, no,” Laura said with a ghost of a smile. Marwin clicked his beak, a little mocking yet playful noise David had got used to over the years.

“Explain to him,” Marwin said to her. “Explain to both of them.” He clacked his beak in Jasmine’s direction.

Jasmine got off her cushion, moving across the small kitchen, rubbing against David’s leg. She sat next to him, and he rested his hand between her ears.

“What’s he talking about?” David asked Laura.

Laura sighed. “It was just… Simon thinks we’ve gotten serious. And we have! I thought that too. But he wanted… he wondered what I thought about touching each other’s daemons.”

David’s fingernails stopped their light scratching of Jasmine’s head. He had only touched Stella that once—or rather, Stella chose to touch him, and Jasmine did the same with Matteo. It was quiet and private and they didn’t talk about it much after that day. They didn’t need to. They knew what it meant.

“And what do you think?” David asked neutrally.

He had a feeling that Laura thought a lot like their father.

He was not wrong.

“It’s too soon,” Laura said. “And it makes things too hard if it doesn’t work out. If anything horrible happens. It’s not needed for a relationship to work. We’re fine without crossing that line.”

Laura and David shared a father, but not a mother. Laura’s mother, Ann, had passed away when Laura was young. It did not take Brian Schreibner long to remarry—too quickly, some might say. A couple years later, David came along. Despite a tragic beginning for Brian and his young daughter Laura, the addition of Brian’s wife—David’s mother Irene—and then David completed the little family. And they were happy, but there were always some strict beliefs when it came to daemons and their place in the family. 

“I know Dad’s opinions,” David said. “But you can make up your own mind.”

“There’s nothing to make up,” Laura said. “It doesn’t need to happen. I don’t want it, and neither does Marwin. It doesn’t mean I don’t love—that I don’t care for Simon dearly,” Laura said, covering her slip up. David’s heart broke for her. “But… we don’t need to do this to prove it.”

“Okay,” David said quietly. He was suddenly glad that he and Matteo had so carefully kept their private moments just that—private.

“You get that, don’t you?” Laura asked sharply. She was looking at him intensely. “It’s the way things are. You aren’t supposed to touch another’s daemon. It’s taboo. You and Matteo are on the same page about this, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” David said vaguely. He and Matteo were on the same page. They really were. It just wasn’t the same one as Laura. 

“Don’t be pressured into it,” Laura said. “It’s not worth it.”

“Isn’t it?” The words left his mouth before he could stop them. He winced at the hard look on Laura’s face. “I mean,” he tried to explain, “it’s up to the lovers. Everyone knows that is the one exception. If they agree, great. If they don’t, they have to talk about it, and respect each other’s decision.”

Laura’s face fell, and she sighed. “This is where Simon and I failed. I don’t think we understand or respect each other’s decision.”

“I’m sorry,” David offered. He truly was. It sucked his sister was going through this. After the mess with Omar, and even her last boyfriend after Omar, Simon had seemed really good for her. It wasn’t fair she had to go through such heartache.

“I know I get it from Dad,” Laura said. She huffed a humourless laugh to herself. “He went through the heartbreak. I remember a little bit, you know. After my mom died.”

David tilted his head to the side. “I don’t. Obviously. What was he like?”

“Devastated,” Laura said. “I remember him and my mom…” She looked down at the table top, and she smiled, a far away thing visiting memories of times so long ago, and could only be seen through a child’s eye. “They really loved each other. They were so close. And so were their daemons. And they were with each other’s daemons.” Laura’s eyes raised to met David’s. “He only wants to stop that from happening to us, the absolute heartbreak. And I do too.”

“You can’t focus on only the negative, Laura.” It was unlike her in all of life, except for this. He didn’t think he could change her mind about it, and he didn’t want to, if she felt that strongly. But he didn’t agree with her, or their father. It was best he kept that himself though. “Like I said,” he said, pushing himself off the counter as there was knock on the door, “it’s up to the lovers to decide. I’ll get the food.”

He paid for the food and brought it to the kitchen. Laura was up and getting out plates. He put the bag of takeaway containers on the counter.

“I just hope you and Matteo are careful with this,” Laura said. “I know what it’s like to be young and in love for the first time. You are both so sweet, but I don’t want you to be hurt. Not you. Not even him.”

“You don’t have to worry too much about us,” David said. “He and I are good.”

Laura nodded. “I know.” She gave him a sweet smile. “Thank you, by the way. For ditching your boyfriend to spend time with me.” 

He bumped his hip against hers as he reached for a plate. “Any time. Any time at all.”

**

**MATTEO:**  
_You’ll never guess who was at this thing.  
23:01_

**DAVID:**  
_Jonas. The guys. Sam. Amira?  
23:02_

**MATTEO:**  
_Yeah. Oh and that guy at the bbq. Mohammed.  
23:02_

**DAVID:**  
_Was his hair amazing?  
23:04_

**MATTEO:**  
_Yes.  
Wait.  
What?  
23:05_

**DAVID:**  
_I said nothing.  
23:06_

**MATTEO:**  
_Do I need to be jealous?  
23:06_

**DAVID:**  
_Never. But admit it he has amazing hair.  
23:07_

**MATTEO:**  
_I like your hair.  
But no guess who was there!  
23:08_

**DAVID:**  
_I did guess!  
23:09_

**MATTEO:**  
_You missed Hanna and….  
23:10_

**DAVID:**  
_Your best friend Stefan  
23:10_

**MATTEO:**  
_How could you.  
23:10_

_He’s so boring! He works a corporate gig for Greenpeace.  
23:11_

**DAVID:**  
_Greenpeace? That would be within your new interests, wouldn’t it?  
He really is your best friend.  
23:23_

**MATTEO:**  
_I can’t believe you just said that to me.  
23:23_

**

David sat at the kitchen table with his sketchbook, enjoying the quiet of the morning. Laura eventually came in, her eyes puffy but from tiredness, not tears. But her smile seemed more like herself.

She made coffee and sat down across from him. Marwin landed beside her hand. Laura took a deep breath. “Will you be mad at me if I skip dinner at Dad and Irene’s tomorrow?”

“Laura.” David groaned. But he understood where she was coming from—they could be a lot to handle, even when you were in top form. Laura probably didn’t want to deal with them right now. “Only because you’re so heartsick will I be okay with it this time.” He took a second. “Plus. I think I’m going to come out to them tomorrow. Maybe I should do this by myself.”

She blinked at him. “You mean…”

“I mean,” David said, “telling them that Matteo is not just a ‘cool guy from my Abi year’ that I met at my new school.”

“Oh dear,” Laura said. “Maybe they figured it out.”

David shook his head. “No. No, they have not.” He hadn’t seen them since before the trip, but he was quite certain that they’d have said something if they realized Matteo was not just a friend he travelled with.

“They obviously don’t stalk your instagram,” she said dryly.

“Hey, it’s not too bad.”

“Okay, maybe yours isn’t. Matteo’s is a shrine to how much he adores you. It would be easy to find.”

David snorted but he couldn’t help but grin. He never thought Matteo would be a social media guy, but he’d been all over it all summer long. He’d loved putting up pictures and stories from their trip… and, yes, a lot of them revolved around David.

Marwin clicked his beak and then said to Laura, “That boy is in loooooove.” Despite his occasional squawking, he had a surprisingly deep voice.

“Who, Matteo or David?” Laura asked.

“Yes,” Marwin said. He and Laura laughed, and even Jasmine, relaxing on her cushion, chuckled.

“Seriously, though,” David said, and they all started laughing harder like a bunch of jerks. But he was glad to see Laura smile.

He thought, maybe, Laura and Simon could work it out. And maybe they would, with a bit of time. And maybe they wouldn’t. He just wanted to see her happy and at peace.

“Seriously, though,” Laura repeated, with a soft smile. “I will come tomorrow if you would like me too.”

He shook his head. “No, that’s okay. I think I need to do this myself. This is the perfect chance.” He took a deep breath. “Also, Matteo invited me to meet him mom soon.” He was going to see her for lunch today, since he hadn’t seen since he’d been back, but he’d made it clear he wanted David to meet her very soon. He was going to set up a date for that.

“Oh, that is serious,” Laura said playfully. 

“It is,” David said, nodding. “The least I could do is tell my parents he and I are together.”

Laura patted his shoulder. “Only if you’re ready.”

“I’m ready,” David said. “I want to.”

“Okay,” Laura said.

“Good luck,” Marwin said as he flitted up to Laura’s shoulder.

“It’ll be fine,” David said. More to convince himself than anyone else.

**

**MATTEO:**  
_When are you coming over?  
17:40_

**DAVID:**  
_I’m coming over?  
17:41_

**MATTEO:**  
_Oh right.  
Wanna come over?  
17:42_

**DAVID:**  
_I’m going to stay with Laura tonight. Sorry.  
17:43_

**MATTEO:**  
_Okay. How is she?  
17:43_

**DAVID:**  
_She’ll be okay, I think.  
17:46_

**MATTEO:**  
_Okay. Tomorrow?  
17:46_

**David:**  
_I’m busy. I’m going to my parents for dinner. I haven’t seen them since before the trip.  
How was your mom?  
17:49_

**MATTEO:**  
_Good! Come to lunch with us next week?  
17:52_

**DAVID:**  
_Absolutely.  
When I see my parents tomorrow, I want to tell them about you.  
That you’re my boyfriend.  
If that’s okay?  
17:58_

**

David stared down at his mobile. There was no immediate answer from Matteo, which was… well, no, it wasn’t weird. It meant either Matteo was uncomfortable with it, or he was trying to figure out how to put into words how he felt.

His mobile began to ring. A picture of Matteo with Stella on his shoulders standing outside of Moulin Rouge in Paris flashed on the display. 

David glanced up to Laura, who was looking over the top of her book at him. It was one of the many she was reading for her Masters’ degree in psychology. He had no idea how she could read something so boring.

He wiggled his mobile.

“Mind if I take a quick call?”

“Of course I don’t,” she said. She put her finger in her book to mark her place. “As long as you’re willing to play cards with me after. I can’t focus on this right now.”

“Deal,” David said as he was standing and thumbing at the screen. Into the mobile he said, “Hey you.”

“Hey you.” Matteo was quiet for a moment, then he said, “Have a minute to talk?”

“Of course,” David said. He went into his room and once Jasmine, who had followed him, was inside he closed the door behind them. He sat on the edge of the bed, and she sat right in front of him. He knew she had great hearing and could hear the entire tinny-sounding conversation from where she sat. He scratched the underside of her jaw, and she closed her eyes and tilted her big head up. 

“So.” Matteo went quiet again. David had learned by now to let Matteo take his time and not push it. “You’re going to tell your parents?”

“Is that okay with you?” David asked.

“Yes. Yes, if that’s what you want, of course.”

“I do,” David said. “I think it’s time they know. It’s not like I’m trying to hide you away or anything.”

“You just haven’t told them you’re into dudes.”

“No, I haven’t. Or, well. Maybe that’s what they always thought, but it’s got a different context to it now,” David said. “And they’re going to ask weird and awkward questions, I’m sure, but whatever. I’ll deal with it.”

“What do you think they’ll think?”

“I think they’ll love you when they get to meet you,” David said. 

He could hear a little, “Ha!” In the background and a teasing, “They’re going to think you’re a lazy hooligan.”

David rolled his eyes but smiled. “Tell Stellabella to be nice.”

“She doesn’t know how,” Matteo said, sounding more relaxed. “She’s a dick.”

“Hey!” He heard Stella protest in the back. There was some rustling and then Matteo saying, “Ow!”

Jasmine huffed, but in an amused way. “She just bit him.”

David laughed. It would be playful, of course, and not at all harmful because Stella was so tiny, and she would never hurt Matteo, but she liked to get her point across and Matteo liked to be dramatic about it.

“Okay, I should go,” David said. “I promised Laura a game of cards.”

“Am I ever going to see you again?” Matteo asked.

“Eighty percent certain the answer is yes,” David said.

“Only eighty? Shit,” Matteo said. “I need to increase those odds.”

“Skype later tonight?” David asked.

“Sure.”

“Because you know what we haven’t done yet, right?” David said, grinning. He suspected Matteo would take a few seconds to get this one.

“No, what?” Matteo said.

“Think about it,” David said. “I’ll talk to you later? Over video? Later at night, when we’re both in bed, right?”

“Right, yeah,” Matteo said. “Have a good evening.”

“You too,” David said. He pressed at the screen and closed the line. He held his mobile, staring at it.

“That boy really is clueless sometimes,” Jasmine said.

“Just one more second,” David said. Then his screen lit up with an incoming message and David couldn’t help but laugh.

**MATTEO:**  
_Holy shit. Yes.  
18:14_

**DAVID:**  
_Nice of you to clue in. Glad it’s not just me and my hand tonight.  
18:15_

**MATTEO:**  
_Holy fuck.  
18:15_

**DAVID:**  
_Later.  
18:16_

He got off the bed and shoved his mobile into his pocket.

“Wipe that smug look of your face before we go out there,” Jasmine said as she waited at the door. “It’s so obvious.”

David found he didn’t really care, but he tried. He didn’t think he was very good at it.

**

It’d been less than a year since David had moved from his parents and it still felt like home whenever he went back to visit, which was a relief. But it was an odd mixture of emotions whenever he returned. He loved his parents and they loved him, but he’d also spent some of the saddest, most distressing times here too.

As he walked through the gate and into the yard, his father rounded the side of the house.

“Son!” he said in his naturally booming voice, a remnant of his years in the military. “You’re here.”

“Hi, Dad,” David said with a smile.

“Come give your old man a hug,” Brian Schreibner said, and pulled David in, patting David’s back with large hands. His dad’s daemon, a peregrine falcon named Brigitte, perched on the roof of the house. She called out a greeting to them, but did not come down. David had always wondered if Jasmine would settle into a bird, like his father’s daemon and then Laura’s, but she had taken her own path. She could get good distance from him though, more so than most non-flying daemons, and he wondered if it was somehow passed on from his dad and his dad’s daemon. He didn’t think it worked that way, but it was a nice thought.

“Where’s Mom?” David asked as he pulled away.

“In the house preparing dinner. She’s making a roast.”

David stared at him. “It’s a billion degrees out.”

“I told her this,” Dad said, waving his hand. “I said I could barbecue but she wanted to. She thought you would like a good home-cooked meal.” 

“Sure,” David said, nodding. He and Laura did alright for themselves, and Matteo was pretty good in the kitchen when he wanted to be. It wasn’t like he didn’t eat properly, but it was still nice to have his mom’s cooking.

“Good, good,” Dad said, patting David’s shoulder again. “Things are good? Trip went well?”

“It did, really well,” David said. He wasn’t quite ready to talk about the trip yet, if only because Matteo would come up and he needed to be with both his parents. He tried his best to distract his father. “How’s the garden? Surviving the heat?”

“My god, the earth is on fire and it’s killing my tomatoes,” his dad said, disgusted. “I’m doing my best. Come, come, I’ll show you.”

David let himself be led into the back yard, where his dad kept a small garden and a variety of decorative plants. David didn’t know the first thing about any of it, and he didn’t really care, but he tried to let what his father told him sink in a little. Laura had a better aptitude for it. So did Jasmine but she’d given up trying to help David with it.

Jasmine found a bit of shade and laid in the cooler dirt, which was going to set his mother into fits when Jasmine went into her likely pristine house. Brigette flew from her perch to land next to Jasmine, and the two had a quiet conversation. 

Brian Schreibner was a fit man, lean but muscular, even at his age. He’d been retired from the military for a handful of years, where he’d flown helicopters. Now he devoted his time to growing a garden in the summer, and playing racketball in the winter, and occasionally took contract jobs instructing others how to fly.

“And look at this! Remember what this beauty is called?” Dad said, pointing to some kind of plant.

“Not at all,” David said cheerfully. His dad laughed.

David’s mom appeared on the back porch. “Aren’t you going to come in?” She was the opposite of her husband; tiny and quiet and more mild mannered. She was over a decade younger than him, though they seemed a good match to David. They certainly loved each other, David did not doubt that.

David was a mix of his parents. Not as light as his father or as dark as his mother; he had his father’s eyebrows and his mother’s eyes; he had his mother’s nose but his father’s lips and gummy smile. He wished he would have inherited a little more of his father—wide shoulders, big hands, more muscular frame, but at least he wasn’t as tiny or short as his mother. Thank goodness for small miracles there. That would have made passing even more difficult.

“Hi, Mom,” David said. 

“Darling,” she greeted. He went up to her and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, and she patted his arm. Her coyote daemon Mirko hovered behind her before turning back in. It was more like Mirko that Jasmine had fashioned herself after, although of course she had to be dramatic about it and get even bigger and wilder.

“Come, now,” she said. “I made your favourite juice, and the roast will be ready shortly.”

“Sounds good,” David said. They went into the house, and it smelled amazing. It smelled like every holiday he could remember as far back as he could, or their frequent Sunday family dinners after attending church. Even if Dad was away for work, or stationed out of the country, there would be Sunday family dinners, even with just Mom, Laura and him.

Which, in their own ways, had all sorts of levels of awkwardness that he wished could be forgotten about. Especially after he and Laura got to the point where they refused to go to church any longer. Nonetheless, the dinners were tradition.

There was some small talk, David’s mom puttering around the kitchen while Dad had disappeared into the back of the house to clean up after his afternoon of gardening. David asked her about work—she was a nurse at a big Berlin hospital. She loved it and was not nearly ready to retire. 

David was put to work and set the table for them. Jasmine sat in the corner of the dining room on the big cushion that was still there for her. Mirko had his own on the other side, and he lay down too. They stared at each other. 

It was when they were all settled down at the table that the conversation took a turn. 

“Tell us all about your trip,” Dad said, moving some roast to his plate. “We liked the pictures you sent to us. Very nice.” 

Neither of his parents were big into social media, but after David had moved out his dad had insisted that they set up a ‘family group chat thing these kids do nowadays’. David had sent updates and pictures there, so that his parents and Laura had been informed of his whereabouts. He left out certain details, like when they had hitchhiked or the couple times they slept on park benches rather than finding hostels for the night, which was for the best, really.

“Yeah, it was really great,” David said. “We saw a lot. Jasmine and Stella—that’s Matteo’s daemon—get along great. So that was good, considering we spent so much time together.”

“And this Matteo. He’s a friend you met at your new school, yes? I think that’s nice,” Dad said, not giving David time to answer. “That you made new friends, and got along with one so well you travelled so long with. Good for young men to bond like that, and go on adventures.”

Dad was focused on his plate, but David glanced at his mother. She watched him very carefully. The pictures David had sent had mostly been of landmarks and, for his father, the beautiful landscaping they came across. There were a couple pictures of David, and even fewer with Matteo included, but they were all innocent.

But she knew. That look in her eyes—it was like when David came out to them as transgender. It was like she knew, but she didn’t want this confirmation. She wanted everything to stay status quo.

He’d learned that he couldn’t live like that.

“Actually, Matteo isn’t just a friend,” David said. Jasmine had got to her feet and was now at David’s side, head bumping against his elbow.

“Oh?” Dad finally looked up at him.

David twirled his empty fork between his fingers. “He’s my boyfriend.”

Both David’s parents stared at him.

Dad asked, “Was this before, during, or after your trip?”

David winced. 

“We met right before exams,” David said. “But by the time exams were done…” He shrugged. “We’re together.”

“And obviously he knows you’re transgender?” Dad said.

David rolled his eyes. “Of course, Dad. We couldn’t have much of a relationship if he didn’t. We couldn’t have travelled together that long if he didn’t.”

“Is he?” Dad asked.

David shook his head. “No, he isn’t trans.”

“And he’s…” It was now that Dad finally had trouble finding words, which did not happen to him often. David gave him a moment to figure it out. His dad didn’t mince words, but he also expected to be able to finish the conversations he wanted.

Finally, Dad shrugged one shoulder. “I don’t know all the terminology beyond learning what I could about transgender. There’s bisexual,” he ticked off on a finger, “and pansexual, which I guess is controversial in ways—is that how you sexually identify—”

“Stop, stop, Dad,” David said, a bit mortified and a bit amused. “Labels aren’t for everyone. But Matteo identifies as gay. He likes dudes, exclusively.”

Both his parents continued to stare at him. David could see it settling in their minds, figuring out what this meant for Matteo and David.

David hated it. He hated having to go through these kind of conversations with them every once in a while. He’d thrown their world views askew when he told them he was transgender. And while they’ve been good about it—relatively, nothing was ever perfect—it was exhausting.

Through their link, Jasmine said, _This says a lot about his character_. In a perfect imitation of their dad.

One second later, Dad nodded his head approvingly. “This says a lot about this Matteo’s character.”

It was all David could do not to laugh. It was something he always said when he liked what he heard about someone. And Jasmine had nailed it.

Dad continued, not knowing about this private conversation. “I like it. It’s good for you.” He pointed his fork in the air toward David. “But you should have told us he was your boyfriend before you went on the trip.”

“Yeah, sorry, there was just a lot going on,” David said, a little cowed. His dad could always do that—be approving but also point out a fault in the same breath. 

“You’ll have to bring him for dinner one night, I want to talk to this boy. Make sure he actually is good enough for my son,” Dad said.

“ _Dad,_ ” David said, ducking his head but laughing. Jasmine put her head on David’s knee, and he could feel the vibration of her silent laughter. “You aren’t allowed to scare him away.”

“I have said this since both Laura and you were young,” Dad said. “I will scare away anyone who doesn’t live up to my expectations, and isn’t good for you.”

“I promise you,” David said. “This one will and this one is.”

His mother spoke for the first time, startling both David and his dad. “Are you lovers?” she asked.

David’s cheeks flushed warm. “ _Mom_.”

Dad waved his fork in the air. “Not relevant. We don’t need to know this. It’s his private business.”

“Relevant,” David’s mom said. She turned to David. “I’m going to assume you are. And you better be practicing safe sex.”

“God, _Mom_ ,” David said. “We’re not talking about this.”

“We talked about this when you were twelve, and fourteen, and sixteen and we will do it again if we have to. Obviously it’s good to protect against sexually transmitted diseases—”

“Mom, enough,” David interrupted. They were each other’s firsts, and yes they were taking all proper precautions, but he was _not_ going to discuss this with his _parents_.

This was the problem with having a mother who was a nurse. A nurse who, at one point in her career, worked for a gynaecologist. She worked in emergency now, but that never stopped her from bringing up embarrassing topics with Laura and David as they grew up. Necessary, maybe, but he didn’t need to hear it anymore. He was well aware of what he needed to be aware of.

She ignored him, the way she was so good at doing. “—and of course you need to prevent against…” She made a vague gesture, sort of in the direction of her belly, but at least she had the respect not to actually say it aloud. Or perhaps she chickened out. But it was said as if he didn’t _know_ his body. He wanted to ignore a lot of it, sure, but he knew he could not. He thought about his body every day, and how it was different from what it actually should be. He didn’t need his mother pointing it out in the most awkward conversation ever.

He was putting a stop to this.

“I am an adult now, Mother. I can deal with this myself,” David said. He gritted his teeth and forced a smile. “I am not talking about it with you any further.” 

She looked at him sharply and if looks could kill, David would be a dead man. “Do not take that tone with me. I know you identify as male—”

“I _am_ male,” David interrupted, earning him yet another sharp look. He would have to watch his footing—his father may be former military, but his mother suffered no fools nor disrespect.

“But your body was not born that way and there are biological results of that you will always have to deal with.”

“It’s not like I don’t know that,” David snapped at her. This was a years old discussion he was tired of having with her. “Again, I point out, I am an adult.”

“Absolutely, and I know you have full autonomy of your body—”

“You’re right, I do. I get to make my own choices.”

She carried on as if she didn’t hear him, again, like only a mother could. “And you have had for a long time, even when you were too young to make such serious decisions—”

This was when she shot a pointed look at David’s father. She always would when it came to any slight reference to David’s starting testosterone shots—she had thought he’d been too young to start injecting such hormones into his body and wanted to wait until he was eighteen—because she would have no choice but to let David make those medical decisions. His father had felt differently and was fully behind the idea of David becoming who he was as soon as he could.

What Brian Schreibner says, goes. Depending on what side of the issue David fell on, it had been both a blessing and a curse his entire life.

“Don’t drag me into this,” David’s dad said mildly now, holding up his hands. “David’s right, he’s an adult and we both know he is well informed on how to manage his body to live his life to the fullest. He isn’t stupid, Irene. We raised him better than that.”

“I know it’s been decades upon decades for you,” she said dryly, “but surely you remember what it was like to be a horny teenaged boy.”

Silence descended on the table.

Then Dad pointed his fork again. “You better be practicing safe sex.”

“Oh my god,” David said, putting his face into his hands and sighing deeply. For her part, Jasmine chuckled quietly, which broke the mood because so did everyone else who wasn’t David. David was too mortified for anything.

“I will say this once, and only once—I have talked to medical professionals and am taking all necessary precautions and I am not discussing this any further,” David said, finality in his tone. “I did not bring up Matteo so that you can get into a trans discussion! I wanted to tell you about the boy I’m in love with, not worry about—” He threw his hands out in irritation, gesturing to everything that had just been said.

His parents were quiet.

Then his dad smirked. “In love with, huh?”

“It’s disgusting,” Jasmine said. “How adorable they are together.”

“Enough out of you,” David said, but gratefully put his hand on her head. 

“Love,” his mom said faintly. “ _Love_. But you haven’t known him that long at all.”

“When you know, you know,” David said. He shrugged. “I know.”

“Well now we really have to meet this boy,” Dad said. “A year ago, you were in the unhappiest place I’d ever seen you, and now you’re in love? Good on you, son.”

“Dad,” David said, embarrassment rising up. “Can we please just stop talking about all of this?”

“Of course, of course,” Mom said. “Although, if you do need relationship advice—”

“Not coming to you for it,” David said.

“I don’t see why not, we have a very solid relationship,” Dad said. 

Mom said, “You should talk to Laura. Not only with her schooling—” Mom seemed to think Laura going to school for psychology meant she had permission to psychoanalyze David all she wanted— “but her and Simon are going on quite strong, aren’t they? She’ll have better advice for this younger generation of social media and smart mobiles.”

David blinked at her. “Right. I will—do that.”

The thing was, David was never good at straight out lying to either of his parents.

They both put down their forks.

“What’s wrong with Laura and Simon?” Dad asked—demanded, really. “Is that why she’s not here today?”

David blinked.

_You’re fucked_ , Jasmine said through their link, and she chuckled as she retreated back to her cushion. She left David to clean up this mess he made by himself.

Laura was going to kill him.

**

David finished drying the dishes and cleaning the kitchen, which he told his mother he would do since she’d cooked. It had been ingrained in him and Laura since they were kids, when their father was often gone but he expected the kids to help their mother around the house when that happened.

It was no different now, even though David didn’t live there anymore. 

He was just finishing up and checking for bus times on his mobile when interrupted by his mother.

“Did Anne know?” she asked. “About your relationship with Matteo?”

_Here we go_ , Jasmine said into his mind. They weren’t even in the same room together, she was lounging on her cushion the next room over.

David had hoped this wouldn’t come up. 

His mother and Anne, his godmother in Fürstenberg, weren’t exactly friends. Or, there had been a disagreement in the past that neither wished to divulge to David that had caused some friction. Even though Anne was David’s godmother, she’d actually been best friends with Ann, Laura’s mother. There was a story about how they met because of their same names, different spellings. And there was a story about how Laura's mother Ann, who was not particularly religious and did not want godparents for her children so Laura never had ones named, and about how Irene, David’s mother, really did want that for her children and therefore insisted when David was born, and about how Brian would agree but only if it was Anne.

Parents were so fucking complicated sometimes.

Apparently it had worked out when David was born. But his mother Irene always had…complicated feelings about the godmother David adored. And even though Anne wasn’t Laura’s godmother officially, those two were also close, Anne being a link to the mother Laura had lost, and sometimes Irene struggled with it.

“Mom, does it really matter if she did know I was in a relationship?”

“She did,” Mom said flatly. “You could tell her but not us?”

“We were staying in her home,” David said. “It was pretty hard to not tell her.”

His mother sighed deeply. As if taking a deep breath to even out her feelings.

“It’s not that I didn’t want you to know,” David said. “It was just… a lot at first, and he and I were settling into our relationship, and…” He trailed off and shrugged. He knew instantly that wouldn’t be enough of an explanation. But given the conversation he did just go through, it should be easy to see why he avoided it for so long.

His mother probably did not think of it that way.

“It just didn’t come up that the boy you were going on an extended trip with was also your lover?”

“You have got to stop saying that word.”

“It’s not incorrect,” she said. She paused for a moment, as if struggling with herself and what she was going to say next. But he recognized the tell-tale look of her deciding to just plunge forward. “You like girls, don’t you?”

Okay, this was not what he expected. “Excuse me?”

“You’re attracted to girls,” she said. It didn’t sound like a question any more.

“Does it matter?” David asked. “I’m with someone, so it doesn’t matter who else I could be attracted to.”

His mother sighed and leaned against the door frame. Mirko was behind her, peeking around her legs. “Darling, I just worry about you.”

“I don’t see what this has to do with it,” he said bluntly. Jasmine had come in the second kitchen entrance to stand at his side, but his mother had long got over being intimidated by the giant tiger staring her down. She probably never was.

“It has everything to do with it.” She brought a hand up to her neck and rubbed absently. “Everything must be so much… more difficult for you. And here you are, in a relationship with a boy. So now it will be even more so.”

He knew this wasn’t coming from a bad place, that she just worried about him. But she didn’t _get_ it.

“I’m with someone I care about,” he said. “And who makes me happy. It’s enough. It’s everything.”

“You think that now, honey, but then—”

“Mom, stop.” He sighed and rubbed his forehead. He was tired, and had a massive headache coming on. He knew what she was trying to get at, but he didn’t want to hear it. 

“I’m just trying to understand why you wouldn’t make things easier on yourself—”

“I have to go.” He held up his mobile. “Bus is coming shortly.” It was a cop out, but it was that or get into another one of their massive fights like they used to have, and he didn’t have the energy for it. 

“Alright,” she said. “I’m sorry—I didn’t—”

“I wish you could be happy for me,” David said. _Like Anne._ He only said it to Jasmine through their link, because he’d find himself in the middle of that fight he was trying to avoid if he said it aloud. It didn’t mean it wasn’t what he was thinking though.

He pushed off the counter and headed to the back door, but his mother was suddenly in front of him.

“I am, of course I am,” she said. “I’m sorry, darling. I just worry about you.”

“You don’t have to,” David said. “I’m doing really well. I promise.”

“I can see that,” she said. She pulled him into a hug. “I just want the best for you.”

“Then I guess you’ll have to meet Matteo,” David said. “So you can see that I do have the best.”

She pulled away and patted his cheek. “Ah, yes. The declarations of young love.”

He rolled his eyes, but gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “I’ll talk to you later.”

“Make sure your sister calls us soon!”

He couldn't make Laura do anything she didn’t want and he wasn’t even going to try, but he made noises of agreement at his mother. He stopped to say a quick goodbye to his dad, who was back in his garden, and made his way back to the street and toward the bus stop.

“Have you ever noticed?” David said to Jasmine as they walked side-by-side.

“Noticed what?” Jasmine said.

“Mom never calls me by my name.”

“She calls you darling,” Jasmine said. “She’s always called you that. Ever since I can remember.”

“I know,” David said. “But she never calls me David.”

“No,” Jasmine said. “No, she never does.”

They left it at that, and took their bus home.

**

The second he walked into the flat, Laura greeted him in the hallway. She didn’t look happy but he had expected that.

She held up her mobile. “Why do I have Dad and Irene messaging me about Simon?”

David knew this was coming. He’d seen the messages in the family group chat. 

“I didn’t really say much,” he said. He gave her a weak smile. “It was sort of an accident?”

She did not look amused. “You threw me under the bus to make things easier for you?”

“No, no, I swear—“

“If it makes you feel better,” Jasmine interrupted with her deep voice. Everyone looked at her, because she did not do that often. “He threw himself under the bus at least three times.”

An unbidden laugh bubbled out of David, and even the corner of Laura’s mouth tugged up into a smile.

“It’s the truth.” David groaned. He scrubbed a hand over his face. “Believe me, any questions about Simon will not compare to what I had to answer about _practicing safe sex_.”

Laura did laugh at this. “Was Irene on one of her nurse tangents?”

“Yeah, a little bit. And in front of Dad.” David leaned his forehead against the wall and then sagged against it. “And she basically told me I should be dating a girl so that I don’t have even more difficulty in the world because, you know.” He gestured up and down his body. “Being trans must be hard so why bother also being in a gay relationship?”

“She did not say all that,” Jasmine said.

“It was heavily implied.”

Jasmine was quiet for a moment, then said, “Well. Yes.”

Laura winced. “Okay, okay. I get why you threw me under the bus—”

“I didn’t!”

“But, for your information,” Laura said, ignoring his protests in the perfect way his mother did too. Laura was more like Irene than she thought. “I will be messaging them right now to say there had just been a slight misunderstanding but Simon and I will be having dinner together tomorrow to work through it.”

David perked up. “Is that the truth or just what you’re saying to throw them off.”

“The truth.”

“Laura! That’s great,” David said, pushing himself off the wall and going over to hug her. Marwin crowed from the kitchen. He was apparently happy with it too.

“It is,” Laura said. She squeezed David tight. “Everything is going to work out for the Schreibner siblings. Nosy parents and all.”

“Nosy unapproving parents,” David muttered.

“I’m sure that’s not true,” Laura said softly. She pulled away and patted his cheek. “She’s just worried. They’re always so worried about you.”

“They don’t need to be,” David said. “Being with Matteo is good.”

“This is true,” Laura said. “And when I talk to them next I’ll back you up on that.” She patted him on the cheek one more time and then headed to the kitchen. Over her shoulder, she said, “I won’t throw _you_ under the bus.”

“I didn’t!” he called after her. He looked down at Jasmine. “I didn’t.”

“Sure,” she said, and followed after Laura. David rolled his eyes, but went to his room so he could chat with Matteo and make plans for the next day.

**

David was at his desk working on his storyboard, trying to get some done before he went to spend the rest of the day with Matteo. He sighed when his mobile pinged yet again. He tried to only pay attention in case Matteo messaged him, but it was a group chat that kept blowing up.

“Why do these friends have fifty-four different group chats?” he muttered. It was a rhetorical question because he knew exactly why—Kiki.

There were messages about getting together to help Kiki and Carlos renovate their place, that day if possible. Then a private message came from Matteo.

**MATTEO:**  
_Up for some construction?  
11:52_

**DAVID:**  
_Amira said it was a complete dump  
11:53_

**MATTEO**  
_You helped fix my wall.  
You can do it! Superman.  
11:54_

**DAVID:**  
_I’ve seen pics of the place. There is no saving it.  
11:54_

David had helped Laura fix up their place, a little, in the spots that were atrocious. And yes he’d help fix the little hole in Matteo’s wall he’d made in the spring when he had one of his anger fits over his father. But David was no carpenter and from the looks of it, there really was no saving that place.

But he’d be relying on his friends in the next few weeks, so he should be reliable for them too.

**DAVID:**  
_But sure, let’s do it.  
I’m surprised you want to.  
11:55_

**MATTEO:**  
_Sam promised beer  
11:55_

**DAVID:**  
_And there it is.  
11:56_

**

“Hey,” David said. He and Jasmine had found the address Kiki had sent for their new flat.

Matteo was outside the building, leaning one shoulder against the wall, mobile in one hand as he thumbed through the screen. Stella was at his feet, pawing at the grass. At David’s voice, he looked up with a warm smile. He slipped the mobile into his pocket. 

“Jasmine!” Stella said, and scrambled over. 

“Hi, Stella,” Jasmine said warmly. David loved how much Jasmine loved her. Jasmine bowed her head so Stella could head-bump it.

“Hi,” Matteo said, and his arms were around David as soon as he was close enough. He put his head on David’s shoulder. “Missed you.”

“It’s only been a couple days,” David said. But he did the exact same, arms around Matteo and leaned against him. He squeezed and didn’t think he’d ever let go.

“Four days,” Matteo said. “Four days without you. That’s the most days since we’ve been together.”

Minus the little bit of time at the beginning when they were figuring things out—but yeah, that was correct.

“Shit,” David said. “Let’s not do that again.”

Matteo laughed, his breath warm against David’s neck. “Deal.” Matteo’s hands slipped down to David’s ass, squeezing him closer, and he started to kiss his neck.

“Right here? Really?” David breathed, laughing quietly. He pulled away to mock Matteo again, but then Matteo kissed him before he could get any words out, and that was much better anyway.

“No, not right here,” Stella complained loudly. “Jesus, you guys. Let’s go inside.”

“But their flat is inside and I’m not ready for that yet,” Matteo said, peppering David’s jaw with kisses.

“We’re here to help,” Stella said. “You’ll spend time together later, stop being assholes.”

“She has a point,” David said.

Matteo pulled away with a huff. “Fine, fine,” he said. “Later.”

“Oh, definitely,” David said, with promise. Matteo’s eyes flashed to him, and he smirked.

They made it inside the building, but it was hard to pay mind to Stella’s words. David had missed Matteo—his smile and his touch and his amazing kisses. As they took the stairs, he put his hand right on the small of Matteo’s back, under his shirt. His shorts sat so low and his shirt rode up, and David couldn’t help it.

As soon as they were through the door of the landing, Matteo spun around and firmly gripped David’s face in his hands, and started kissing him almost frantically. David could only return it, pushing Matteo against the wall. 

“For fuck’s sake,” Stella said as the daemons walked past them, but Jasmine chuckled.

David paid them no further mind, and only focused on Matteo. Their near tumbling into the wall, their hands on each other, Matteo lifting his leg to put around David, as if trying to get as close as possible. Heat flushed through David completely, and all he wanted was to get off, and get Matteo off, and where they were wasn’t even an issue, as far as he was concerned.

It very quickly became one, though.

“Wait,” David said, pulling away from Matteo’s kiss, distracted by moaning that wasn’t from him or Matteo. He tilted his head to the side but Matteo just attached his lips to David’s neck and started kissing there. David put his hands on Matteo’s shoulders and pushed, just a little, gently, but Matteo always stopped when he could tell David wanted him to.

“What?” Matteo said, his quiet voice husky.

“What’s that?” David said.

Matteo was quiet for a moment, and then swore under his breath.

“That,” Stella said, from where her and Jasmine were sitting patiently in the stairwell, “is a couple having even more fun than you.”

It was clear that Kiki and Carlos were, indeed, having a lot more fun than even they were at the moment.

“Damn it,” Matteo said, pulling away completely. “That’s—”

“Seriously?” David said. 

“Seriously,” Matteo said. He put his hands on his hips and sighed.

David sighed too. Any interest he had in making out with Matteo was—well, gone was not the right word, he was always interested, but now wasn’t the right time.

Matteo pulled his mobile out of his pocket, along with a pair of headphones. “Drown them out?”

“Yup,” David agreed.

They went to sit in the stairwell with Jasmine and Stella. Stella was on one stair, a couple up, so she was closer to Jasmine’s height. Jasmine had her head bent down, and her low smooth voice was barely a rumble as she spoke to Stella. 

Stella suddenly laughed, almost like a delighted cackle. “No! No way.” She turned and stared at David. “Really? She actually asked that?”

“What’s this?” David said. Matteo had sat on the same stair as Stella, so David sat right behind him, legs on either side so Matteo could lean back against his chest. Matteo passed back one headphone and David put it into one of his ears, Matteo doing the same and opening up Spotify.

“You didn’t tell me this part,” Stella said to Matteo. Then she looked at David. “Or maybe you just didn’t tell us at all because it’s so…” She trailed off.

“What?” David asked, leaning over Matteo’s shoulder so that he could see the screen. He leaned his head against Matteo’s.

“That when you came out to your parents—” Stella paused dramatically. He didn’t know why. He did tell Matteo that he came out, and that it went relatively fine and that his parents wanted to meet him. He even told him about his mom and her concern about David being in a same-sex relationship but that she knew he was happy. 

He looked at Jasmine. “What did you say to her?”

Jasmine didn’t say anything, sitting as regal as ever. This was not good. He didn’t have a chance to say anything else before Stella filled in the answer.

“That your mom asked if the two of you were lovers. _Lovers_ ,” Stella said gleefully. “Is this the 1950s? Or a musical.” She turned in a circle a couple times, letting out pent up energy. “Or a rom-com!”

“Well, we are a couple,” Matteo said distractedly, continuing to scroll through his mobile.

“Matteo,” Stella said, as if talking to a child. “It was a code word for, ‘Are you banging him?’”

“What? Wait, what?” Matteo sat up and shifted a bit, so he could look at David. “Your parents really asked if we’re having sex?”

“They get overly concerned about some things,” David said.

“What do you mean, things?”

“Trans things,” David said. Before Matteo could answer, David rushed out. “They just wanted to make sure we’re being safe. But I told them to butt out, and that you and I have talked about it and we’re good. We’re fine. And I told them to mind their own fucking business going forward.”

“You did not put it that way,” Jasmine said.

“Not exactly,” David allowed, “because my dad would kill me if I tried, but I was firm.”

“Sure,” Jasmine said.

David rolled his eyes, and then tried to avoid Matteo’s gaze because this was embarrassing. He was sure their sex life was the last thing he ever wanted mentioned around David’s parents, and he’d only avoided mentioning anything so it didn’t feel super awkward for Matteo when he did end up meeting them.

“Then don’t tell them about this,” Stella said seriously. They all looked at her.

“What?” David asked.

“Going at it in a building that is about to crumble around us. Least safe sex ever.”

Jasmine let out a rare, full laugh. Stella turned in a circle, obviously pleased with herself.

Matteo looked up at David, and then leaned in and kissed the inside of his knee, over his pants, and his hand wrapped around David’s ankle. It wasn’t a come on, but it was just… nice. It would almost be romantic, if it wasn’t for Kiki’s increasing volume in the background.

Before David could say anything, the door to the building opened and footsteps echoed.

Amira had her mobile in hand and she smiled at it softly. Looking up, and blinking, she realized they were there. “Hey.” She gave David a high five and did a little handshake with Matteo. “Why are you—wait. Are they?” She leaned a little to the side and then stood up straight. “No.”

Matteo and David and the daemons started laughing. Even Abasi, who had come up onto one of the stairs, but on the opposite side of the stairwell as Jasmine.

“Ah, yeah, that’s happening,” Matteo said. 

Amira rolled her eyes but didn’t look as though she knew what to say to that. But Sam came into the building, and there was no need to say anything because Sam certainly did.

“Oh, get it,” she said. She did a little hip thrusting dance move as she slid over to Amira’s side. Amira rolled her eyes again. 

“Because this is appropriate,” she said. 

“Aww, don’t be a prude,” Sam said. As Amira shot daggers at her with her eyes, she must’ve realized it wasn’t the kindest thing to say, so she turned to the boys. “Hi. Beer?” She held out the case she promised to bring.

“Yup,” Matteo said, and grabbed one for him and David.

“Hi, George,” Stella said loudly. George was Sam’s chameleon daemon, and he sat on her shoulder. He had been green, but he was already fading into a blue. Stella laughed, delighted. 

“Speaking of no one being a prude,” Sam said. She turned to Amira. “How are things?”

Amira raised her eyebrows. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Is there a boy, Amira?” Matteo asked playfully.

“I never said that,” Amira said immediately. “Because there’s not.”

Beside her, Sam was nodding and had a bright smile.

“Really?” David asked. “Who?”

“No one,” Amira said flatly.

“No one with beautiful wavy hair?” Matteo asked. “David is jealous of his hair.”

“Oh. Oh!” David said. He suddenly realized who Matteo was talking about. For all that people sometimes thought Matteo wasn’t serious or was just a goof or whatever, he could be very observant when he wanted. David nodded and patted his head. “My hair could never look like that.”

“I don’t know who you’re talking about,” Amira said, obviously lying. She nodded at David. “How’s the film going?”

“Haven’t started filming yet, but should be soon,” David said, nodding.

“It’s going to be so good,” Sam said, clapping her hands together. “I am excited.”

“It’ll be amazing,” Matteo agreed. He looked at David, smiling. “He’s working hard at it.”

“And I heard it’s about aliens?” Amira said. “That’s… why aliens?”

“Yes, it’s aliens. But it’s got deeper meaning to it. A guy who’s an outlier on an alien planet that is not his own, and doesn’t have daemons, and he doesn’t know how to fit in with everyone around him. He’s trying to find himself to feel comfortable on this planet. But it’s hard for him.”

Amira stared at David for a moment. Then she nodded. “I see. That sounds hard. And that is a deep meaning.”

“I agree,” Matteo said. His hand squeezed David’s ankle.

“I think it’s going to look cool,” Sam said. David felt a small pang of guilt—she didn’t get the deeper meaning of it all, not the way Matteo or even Amira did, because she didn’t _know_. But she was being kind and helpful. “I can’t wait to put together some costumes for it.”

“I appreciate the help,” David said to her.

“No problem! I’m looking to get into fashion for a career, so this will only be helpful!”

Their conversation was cut off when Kiki opened the door, and came into the hallway in nothing but socks and one of Carlos’ shirts. Her lovebird daemon sat on her left shoulder. “Oh, you’re all here.”

“Oh, you’re finished,” Matteo said. “Carlos going to be up for helping out? Sounded like you wore him out.”

Everyone made noises of protests, though David laughed and leaned his head against Matteo’s. Matteo was such a shit, but he loved him for it.

“What?” Matteo said, completely unabashed. “Are we supposed to pretend we didn’t all hear that. Oops.” He asked Kiki, formally, “And how was your afternoon so far?”

“Invigorating,” Kiki said with a smile, which got a genuine laugh from Matteo. 

“I bet,” he said.

David needed them to get past this. It only reminded him how much he wanted to be alone with Matteo. So, may as well get this over with.

He stood, jostling Matteo a bit. “You still want help, right?”

“Of course, of course,” Kiki said. She lead the way into the flat. “Come this way, I will show you around.”

They all walked in, Jasmine taking the lead of the group of guests, with the smaller daemons skittering around her. 

Stella whispered, not so quietly, “This place is a dump.”

“It’s a fixer upper,” Kiki said to the group at large.

Jasmine said, “Looks like a place an outlier alien would live.”

“I don’t know what that means,” Kiki said, looking at David.

“It means,” Matteo said, “are you still up for helping with David’s film?”

“Oh, of course!” Kiki said. “What does this have to do with that?”

“I’ve been struggling with a film location or two,” David said. He looked around. “This would be perfect. Would you mind if we came over a couple of times and did some shooting here?”

“In my home? Of course!” Kiki said, looking rather flattered. “That would be no problem.” Carlos walked into the room then, carrying some plaster and other supplies, and the others were distracted momentarily while sorting out what needed to be done.

Matteo came up behind David and put an arm around his waist, resting his chin on David’s shoulder. “Looks like it’s all coming together, Mr. Director.”

“I think it just might,” David said. “This might even be good.”

Matteo kissed his neck. “It’s going to be great.” Then Matteo slapped his ass, and ducked out of the way when David turned to retaliate. “Time to change hats, Mr. Carpenter.”

Carlos heard this and perked up. “You know carpentry?”

“Not really,” David said, just as Matteo said, “He’s good.”

“I can fix plaster a little,” David added.

Carlos put his arms out. “How about fixing plaster a lot?”

“Come on,” David said with a grin. “Let’s see what we can do.”


	3. August - Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A DRUCK Season 4 (and beyond) Parallel Universe—with Daemons.
> 
> **
> 
> The continuing story of David and Matteo, and their daemons Jasmine and Stella. (Or, David's Come What May sequel.)

Sara gestured at the storyboard. “I like this. This is really good.”

“Thanks,” David said, not without a bit of pride. The more he worked on it, the more he liked his storyboard and the idea he was going with.

He, Sara and Leonie sat at the little table in his kitchen. There really wasn’t enough room for all of them and the storyboard, and the daemons hanging out, but they made it work for the time being. They’d have to meet at a café or something next time; although hopefully he would start filming soon.

“I don’t know about this, though.” Sara pointed to the dark, uneven line across the middle of it. “You might want to clean that up.”

David rolled his eyes. “Yes, this has become the draft. I have a nicer one redone and put away safely to be submitted.” He sighed, though he couldn’t help but smile, just a little. He traced the line lightly. “Annoying boyfriend who can’t stand being without attention.”

“What did he do, jump up behind you and surprise you?”

“Yup,” David said. “After throwing rocks.” He glanced at them; Leonie’s eyebrows were raised in a very unimpressed manner, and Sara’s mouth hung slightly open. David laughed. “They were just small rocks. Pebbles, really.”

“ _Why_?” Sara asked.

David shrugged. “He was bored and wanted attention.”

“Such a child,” Leonie said, a little haughtily. “I’m going to find a man in college. One a few years older. I’m done dealing with guys our age.” She looked at David. “No offence, but you’re all idiots.”

“Here, here,” David said, not really looking to disagree.

“They’re not that bad,” Sara said, rolling her eyes. Then again, her boyfriend was someone from their Abiture year, so it made sense.

“I still don’t get what you see in Matteo Florenzi,” Leonie said. 

“He gets me,” David said. “And I love him, so.”

There was a moment of silence, and then a soft little _awww_ from under the table. He was pretty sure it was Velten, Sara’s rabbit daemon.

David rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t help but smile.

“Oh, you’re blushing,” Sara said, and reached over to pinch David’s cheek. He laughed and ducked out of the way, a move learned from Matteo.

“Stop, stop,” David said. He levelled Sara a look. “From what I remember, you had a thing for him too.”

Leonie laughed just as Sara said, “Oh, god. Good thing that didn’t go anywhere.”

“Very good thing,” David said. He stared down at the storyboard and frowned. “But you’re sure about this? You don’t mind playing opposite of him?”

She flicked her hair over her shoulder with diva attitude. She said in English, “The show must go on, dah-ling,” with a little inflection in her voice at the end. Then in German, “It’ll be fine, I don’t mind if he doesn’t mind.”

David shook his head. “He’s cool.”

The main character—who Matteo was playing—was an outlier alien who wasn’t on his home planet, but who was able to disguise as one of the locals. He had two love interests—one male, and one female, though he ultimately doesn’t connect with either of them. 

The aliens of this planet don’t have daemons, going along with one actual conspiracy theory that there were alternate universes that did not have daemons, or that the souls reside within bodies rather than manifested otherwise. Matteo’s alien was from a planet that had daemons, though he was separated from his when transported to the new planet. There were also terrible theories about what would happen to someone if they were separated from their soul. David’s film wasn’t going too dark with it. That wasn’t the point.

“Velten is a little offended he doesn’t get to star with me,” Sara said, poking her head down to look under the table. “I promised to include him in my own acting classes somehow.”

“Stella is pissed she’s not in it more,” David admitted. “Though she gets the big reunion scene at the end so that helped a little.”

After soul searching—both metaphorically and literally—the alien, who does not make it home, does get reunited with his soul. Only then does he feel complete, when he knows who he really is again.

David started to worry a little. “Is it too cliched? The concept isn’t exactly original, and what if the selection board—”

“It’s great,” Leonie said. He blinked at her. She wasn’t even in arts—she was going to business school, though she happily agreed to help out in any way she could with his project, as long as she didn’t have to appear on camera. “This is your idea, and you developed it and you’re ready to begin shooting. You have to stick to it. You can’t doubt it, or you won’t end up being happy with it.”

“Right,” David said, nodding. “You’re right. It’s going to be fine.

“Great,” Leonie said. “It’s going to be great.”

“Yes. Yes, okay. It will.”

“Good,” she said. She pointed at the board. “So where do you need our help first?”

David smiled. He was glad for his friends.

**

[ok.cool.]

**ABDI:**  
_Boys! Let’s go to the lake today!  
10:38_

**CARLOS:**  
_I have plans with Kiki. We found a sink on the internet  
We have to go and pick it up  
10:39_

**ABDI:**  
_bro. :(  
Okay, other dudes! Lake!  
10:40_

**JONAS:**  
_Are you going to ditch us for Sam?  
10:42_

**ABDI:**  
_I might go and talk to her….  
10:43_

**JONAS:**  
_Finally!  
I’m there as your wingman  
10:47_

**ABDI:**  
_Yeeessss!  
Matteo? David?  
10:54_

**DAVID:**  
_Sorry, plans to film today.  
11:13_

**MATTEO:**  
_he needs his star!  
11:14_

**JONAS:**  
_Fine, but hang out with us soon!  
11:15_

**DAVID:**  
_Can I call on you to help film sometime soon? Maybe in a couple days?  
11:19_

**ABDI:**  
_Yes!  
11:19_

**CARLOS:**  
_Absolutely  
11:21_

**JONAS:**  
_I am the other big star so of course  
11:23_

**MATTEO:**  
_Hey!  
11:24_

** 

“Would you calm down?” David asked. 

They were on the bus, on the line that would go right past David’s stop and continue on to Matteo’s mother’s flat. Matteo’s knee bounced up and down, jiggling against David’s leg. Stella was around Matteo’s neck like a scarf, even in this heat, but David understood why.

David was meeting Matteo’s mother today.

“There’s still time for you to go hang out with Jonas instead,” David said playfully. They hadn’t made it to the lake the other day, but Jonas had been trying to get Matteo for some one-on-one time, which was cool. But today didn’t work because Matteo and David already had plans.

Matteo’s knee stopped bouncing, and he glanced at David and rolled his eyes. “Yes, I’m sure my mother would love that excuse. ‘Sorry, Mama, have to cancel. I have to go get drunk with Jonas’.” Matteo paused and then nodded his head. “That works. I can send you and Jasmine ahead to have lunch with her.”

“Um, no,” David said. “If you get out of this, I definitely get to get out of this. If anyone is making excuses it should be me.”

Matteo’s knee started bouncing again. “If you really don’t want—”

David put his hand lightly on Matteo’s knee. “Sorry, bad joke. Of course I do.”

Matteo took a deep breath. “Okay. Good.” He winced. “She’s already not happy you met my dad before you met her, I really don’t think we should cancel.”

“That was because of the trip,” David said. “I hope she’s not too angry with it.”

“Nah, she’s just pretty unimpressed with anything having to do with him,” Matteo said. “Let’s not bring it up and she’ll be fine.”

David—well, David knew parents. Even if his were together, quite happily, there was always that push and pull between a mom and a dad’s love. It was probably even more amplified in a situation like this, but David doubted they were going to be able to get by without there being any mention of the trip. He would let Matteo take the lead on that one, unless he was completely floundering.

Matteo’s knee didn’t stop bouncing and Stella didn’t leave her spot from Matteo’s neck, her tail tucked into his shirt. Matteo’s relationship with his mother was better, but still. David knew there was a past there, with the big incident earlier in the year, and Matteo and Stella so deeply affected by it. He also knew that Matteo loved his mother, and at least he made an effort to rebuild a relationship with her.

There was such strength in that, and Matteo probably didn’t even realize it. David loved him for it.

“Here we are,” Matteo said finally, standing as they approached the stop they needed. Stella stayed on his person, but David and Jasmine trailed after Matteo as he exited the bus. 

It wasn’t a far walk, only a couple blocks, when they approached an apartment building. It was well maintained, nicer than his building for certain, and even nicer than Matteo’s.

Matteo pressed the little button and there was a buzz.

With a static crackle, there was a, “Hello?”

“Hi, Mama. We’re here,” Matteo said.

The door buzzed. Matteo opened it and took a deep breath. “Let’s do this,” he said, holding it open for David and Jasmine. David paused for just a moment, putting his hand on Matteo’s cheek and giving him a quick peck on the lips.

“Let’s do this,” he echoed. Matteo smiled.

Mrs. Florenzi let them into her flat with a wide smile.

“Okay, fine, put me down,” Stella muttered, and Matteo did. Because the first thing his mother did was give Matteo a hug, squeezing him tight, and Stella gave her the room to do so. Stella immediately went to sit by Jasmine’s paws.

Mrs. Florenzi pulled away from hugging her son and put both her hands on his cheeks, patting them fondly. “My boy, hello!”

“Mama, hi,” Matteo said, sounding embarrassed. 

It was so fucking adorable David couldn’t help but smile.

Matteo turned to David. “Mama, this is David. David, my mom.”

“Hi, Mrs. Florenzi,” David said. It was only now that his nerves started to rise. Standing in her home, watching her and Matteo together. God, here he was, meeting Matteo’s _mom_. He stuck out his hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Mrs. Florenzi bypassed the hand altogether and went in for the hug. “David,” she said. She pulled away and put her hands on his cheeks, and patted them just as she had Matteo’s. She smiled fondly. “What a handsome young man. Not that that’s the important part,” she said as she pulled away, and put her hand on Matteo’s shoulder. “You must also be a very good person. My son is absolutely smitten with you.”

“ _Mama_ ,” Matteo said.

“He’s a little biased,” David said, smiling at her. “You probably should take what he says with a grain of salt.”

“Gorgeous, kind, talented, funny? Sound exactly like the kind of man my son would be interested in,” Mrs. Florenzi said.

“Jesus Christ, _Mama_ ,” Matteo said in a whine.

“Don’t take the Lord’s name in vain,” she said, shaking her finger at him. “Now, the two of you, please, please. Come on in.”

Matteo trailed after her to the dining room, and David followed him. She waved at the table, which was already set for the three of them, and hurried into the kitchen. Matteo plopped down into a chair, and David began to follow, but then something caught his eye and he was distracted.

“Oh my god,” David said, stopping to look at a framed picture on the wall. Clearly Matteo, he was maybe eight or nine, with blonder hair and a purposefully goofy look as he faced the camera. A tiny daemon sat on his shoulder—even then, Stella was cute and small, and in the form of a ferret, even though she wouldn’t have been settled then.

“Don’t look at that,” Matteo said, and put his hands in his face. 

“Look at it!” Stella said. “I’m adorable.”

“What’s adorable—oh, yes, that,” Mrs. Florenzi said, coming into the dining room carrying a salad bowl. She put down the bowl, and then came to stand beside David. “He was so adorable.”

“Yeah, what happened?” David joked, grinning over his shoulder at Matteo.

“Ha ha,” Matteo said, making a face. 

“I have photo albums full of pictures,” she said. “If you would ever like to see them?”

“Absolutely,” David said, just as Matteo said, “No, never. Mama!”

“It’s a trade off,” Mrs. Florenzi said to Matteo. “I show him pictures of you, and then when you go to his parents, they show you pictures of him. Isn’t that right, David?”

“Sure,” David said. He knew it wasn’t the truth—his parents would never bring out the old pictures. He knew they still existed, somewhere, more because his mother would never be able to get rid of them. But he didn’t like to look at them, or have anyone else look at them, or at least the ones from before he was twelve.

“Nah, they don’t have to,” Matteo said, casually. Almost too casually. Matteo met David’s eyes. “Stories, though. I do want some stories.”

“Oh, I can do stories,” Mrs. Florenzi said, clapping her hands. “There was this one time when Matteo was six—”

“Mama, no, that’s not what I meant.”

“I would love to hear it,” David said, smiling at her. “If you’d like to share.”

“Of course I would. Now, sit, sit, I’ll be right back and we can eat.”

David sat in the seat next to Matteo at the table, and grinned at him. “I get stories.”

“Don’t even start,” Matteo said, scrunching his nose. David laughed.

“So many stories. I’m sure your mom would love to tell me all about them.” David reached over and tried to pinch Matteo’s cheek, even though he ducked out of the way. “You were so adorable. I bet you were a hellion.”

“You have no idea,” Mrs. Florenzi said as she came into the dining room.

That was when David noticed the daemon who stopped at the doorway from the kitchen. A beautiful Golden Retriever sat on his haunches, almost on guard. It reminded David of how Jasmine tended to sit. Jasmine and Stella were in one corner of the room, Stella stretched out on the floor but Jasmine sitting upright, on guard, just as the Golden Retriever was.

“Hey, Andreas,” Matteo said, nodding at the daemon.

“Matteo,” Andreas said. He didn’t greet or even really look at David, which was normal etiquette so David wasn’t offended or anything. He did notice Jasmine shift her stance, a little, so she was closer to Stella. In fact, she put herself between Andreas and Stella.

Shit. David knew this move.

 _Behave_ , he said to her through their link.

Jasmine didn’t even respond. She looked impassive, but he could tell she was intently watching the third daemon.

“Eat, eat,” Mrs. Florenzi said, pushing a bowl of pasta salad with pesto and a ton of vegetables in it at him.

“Wow, this looks amazing,” David said, taking a scoop of it.

“It’s so healthy,” Matteo said, like it was an insult, scrunching his nose. He took a rather large portion too, so David rolled his eyes.

“I’m sure it’s a lot better than the food you were eating on your trip,” she said. “Now, tell me all about it.”

“I did while we were travelling,” he said.

“I got phone updates. I want to hear it from you.”

“And I saw you last week!”

“Yes, but I didn’t see you and David last week. I want to hear what the two of you thought. Just tell me!”

“Fine, fine,” he said. “What do you want to know?”

“Everything,” she said, dishing herself some salad. “But, let’s first start with… where was your favourite place?”

“Paris,” David and Matteo said together. They looked at each other and grinned.

She laughed. “A good time was had there, I think.”

Matteo shrugged, but he smiled. “It’s just a thing. We saw the Moulin Rouge.”

It was one of the best memories of the whole trip, one all four of them, when Jasmine and Stella were included in that, absolutely loved more than anything. It was personal, and it meant something to them. It was a really good night.

“And the Eiffel Tower, and the Spanish Steps, and the Arc de Triomphe,” David said. “They were all really awesome to see.”

“The catacombs were cool,” Matteo said.

“Eww, it was sad,” Stella said, which was also a point.

“There was so much walking though,” Matteo said. He scrunched up his face. “So much.”

“I liked it,” David said.

“You took P.E. for your Abi,” Matteo said. “You’re supposed to like it.”

“If you think for a second I liked that exam,” David said, “you’re so very wrong.”

Matteo laughed, but looked at David knowingly. He didn’t think that, not for a second.

“Where else did you like?” Mrs. Florenzi asked. David was almost startled in the reminder she was in the room with them, so caught up in speaking with Matteo. Her eyes were bright as she glanced between David and Matteo.

“Amsterdam was really cool,” David said.

Stella, from across the room, added, “We walked through a field of tulips!” 

They talked for a little while about the trip, going on and on about Amsterdam and Belgium and Spain, but Italy didn’t come up. David didn’t know if it was just missed or if they were all purposefully avoiding it—probably most likely—but it was a good discussion nonetheless.

He offered to wash dishes when they were done, and Mrs. Florenzi beamed at him.

“Suck up,” Matteo grumbled, but he grinned at David.

“No need for either of you to worry about that,” she said, cleaning up the last plate and waving a hand as David moved to stand up. “Sit, sit. Would the daemons like anything?”

David glanced over. It was as if none of them had moved an inch in the hour for lunch. Jasmine was laid on all fours, but alert, with Stella lollying between her paws in a casual way. Andreas was still at the door to the kitchen.

“There may be some nice fresh blackberries for dessert,” Mrs. Florenzi said casually. 

Stella rolled over onto her paws in an instant. “Really?” she said, rushing over to Matteo’s chair. He rolled his eyes, but picked her up when she scratched at his ankle.

“Such a glutton,” Matteo said.

“Shut up,” Stella said to him. She was on his lap, but her little front paws were on the edge of the table as she looked over the top of it. “You just ate a whole meal. With second helpings.”

“Homemade,” he said. “Who could say no?”

Mrs. Florenzi brought in a fruit tray, Andreas on her heels. Stella greedily reached for the berry Mrs. Florenzi had put in front of her. Then she handed an apple slice to Andreas, who delicately took the offer.

“David?” Mrs. Florenzi said. “For your lovely daemon?”

Jasmine had come up next to David’s as well, between his and Matteo’s, situating herself close to them on purpose. He put a hand lightly on the top of her head and scritched her ears. She remained on guard.

 _No,_ Jasmine said through their link, a little shortly. It always took her a little while to get comfortable around strangers, even if they weren’t addressing her directly.

“No, but thank you,” David said with some politeness. Jasmine was more of a meat and potatoes kind of daemon, loved bacon and roast beef, and Mrs. Florenzi’s lovely light summer lunch was not going to be to her tastes at all.

“Here,” Stella said, awkwardly holding out a blueberry between her paws. Matteo had to hold her by the underside, since she’d lifted off her front legs to do so and would’ve tumbled off if he hadn’t done so. 

Jasmine didn’t turn her head from staring across the table at Andreas, who had hopped up onto an empty chair, but stuck her tongue out to the side. Stella giggled as she dropped the blueberry and Jasmine expertly swiped it into her mouth.

 _Fine then,_ David said to her, barely refraining from rolling his eyes. _Make me look like a liar._

Jasmine didn’t answer but she stuck out her tongue the same way, and it happened three more times before Stella gave up the game so she could eat blueberries herself.

The room had gone quiet as the humans watched the little display, Matteo with a soft grin on his face, and Mrs. Florenzi like she was watching something on the television she couldn’t tear her eyes from. Andreas retreated to under the table.

“David,” she said suddenly, as Stella started munching away again. 

“Yes?” 

“Would you like me to read your palm?”

“Mama,” Matteo said immediately, “no.”

“I wasn’t talking to you, my darling,” she said, looking at him with what was the patented _don’t mess with me_ mom look. The look, along with the term of endearment, was so much like David’s own mom that he blinked rapidly and had to bite his lip to hold back a grin. As rocky as his relationship with his mother was at times—there was just something so _mom_ about it. 

“I didn’t realize this is something you did,” David said.

“You didn’t tell him?” Mrs. Florenzi asked Matteo.

Matteo had told David much about his mother, and David could read between the lines on a lot of it. Matteo loved his mother more than anything, but there were certain things he had difficulty with but he worked on. One of these things was that she was very religious, so it was surprising to David that she knew anything about such a thing.

“No, I didn’t tell him,” Matteo said. He made a small gesture with his hand. “I knew this would happen.”

“Could have prepared me,” David said, teasingly.

“Matteo won’t let me read his palm anymore,” Mrs. Florenzi said. She held up her hand, palm facing them, and traced a line near the top of the palm. Right under her fingers. David recognized it as the place on his palm that Matteo tended to leave kisses. “He won’t let me anywhere near his heart line.”

“I don’t need you to read it. I already know what it says,” Matteo said, and his gaze slid to David quickly before looking back at his mother.

There was a moment of quiet before a deep voice came from under the table. “That is the cutest thing.”

“Andreas!” Stella said loudly. She ducked down so that she was looking under the table. Jasmine flinched slightly, as if a fight or flight response, heavy on the fight, and ducked her head under to look. Stella said, “Do not encourage them. You have no idea how sweet and sappy they are. All. The. _Time_ ,” she both punctuated and stressed. She popped her head back up and looked across the table. “No need to read either of their heart lines, Mama. It’s obvious.”

Then she reached for a strawberry, but it was too far away. Matteo looked torn between wanting to flick it across the room to mess with her, or handing her one made of gold. He pushed it within her reach and she happily munched on it. 

“Well,” Mrs. Florenzi said, smiling, “if there is no palm reading, how about a game of cards?”

“Deal,” Matteo said.

They played a couple rounds of Uno. Matteo and his partner in crime Stella were intent on doing what they could do screw over David, and David was so busy trying to get them back, that Mrs. Florenzi easily took both games, much to her polite delight.

As they were about to leave, Mrs. Florenzi saw them to the door, Andreas on her heels, seeming a little bit more comfortable around all of them now. Jasmine still was not, though she was more relaxed when Stella asked to ride on her instead of being carried by Matteo.

“Stella knows how to walk, doesn’t she?” Mrs. Florenzi asked, though she watched in amusement as Stella and Jasmine did their little routine of getting ready to go for a walk.

“She complains she can’t keep up,” Matteo said. 

“And you don’t mind, do you, Jasmine?” Stella said.

Jasmine didn’t say anything. On her behalf, David said, “She really doesn’t.” 

“David,” Mrs. Florenzi said. “I was hoping to have a small chat with you, but it seems my son won’t leave us alone together for a moment.”

“That’s not true,” Matteo said, in a way that said it was entirely true.

David rolled his eyes, and she just patted Matteo’s cheek before turning back to David. She reached out for another hug, so David could only lean in to give her one, not wanting to be rude. It was nice.

“Thank you for loving my son,” she said in to his ear. “Look after him.”

“Always,” he said back automatically, because it was nothing but the truth. 

She pulled away away and patted his face fondly, then turned to her son and gave him a tight hug. She whispered something to Matteo too, and all David could hear was a whispered, happily exasperated _Mama_.

They said their goodbyes and left her flat, walking toward the building exit. Matteo stopped and turned to David, so David did the same.

“Thank you for coming today,” Matteo said. He brought David’s palm to his lips and left a kiss on his heart line.

David didn’t know why the Florenzis kept thanking him for the simplest things. “Of course. I know how much she means to you. I was happy to meet her.”

“I’m happy you did,” Matteo said.

“Do you think she liked me?” David asked.

“I think you charmed the fuck out of her,” Matteo said. “I have the best boyfriend.”

“You do, don’t you?” David asked, smirking.

Matteo rolled his eyes, but he reached out and pulled David into a tight hug. It was infinitely different than the hug from his mother. This was… this was Matteo, and god but did David love this boy.

“Come on, you sappy sweethearts,” Stella said. “Let’s get this show on the road.”

**

**AMIRA:**  
_Hey boy! When are you coming to see my gym?  
10:46_

**DAVID:**  
_Truthfully I sort of forgot about that._  
10:49

**AMIRA:**  
_David! I’m hurt!  
What about staying fit?  
10:52_

**DAVID:**  
_I know, I know!  
I’ve been so busy with my film, and I make Matteo bike and walk with me  
For shooting and location searches. So I’m still active.  
10:55_

**AMIRA:**  
_Oh, how’s that going?  
10:56_

**DAVID:**  
_He complains but I think he secretly likes it.  
And Stella looks cute in the bike basket she has to ride in  
10:57_

**AMIRA:**  
_I meant the film.  
10:58_

**DAVID:**  
_Oh! Pretty good start! I figured out how to film alien Matteo taking off his mask  
To becoming faking-as-a-human-like-Alien  
So there’s been a little bit of shooting.  
11:10_

**AMIRA:**  
_Awesome! Let me know if you need any help!  
11:13_

**DAVID:**  
_For sure. There will be some group/party scenes soon I think  
I would love your presence for that...if you don’t have a problem with being an alien  
11:15_

**AMIRA:**  
_I feel like one more than I should.  
11:16_

**DAVID:**  
_I hear you.  
11:16_

**

David buzzed up to Matteo’s flat, and when the intercom buzzed he answered, “It’s David.” He was let into the building and he went up the stairs. When he knocked, he expected to see Matteo, but instead it was thin brunette with long hair, in a silk crop top and a long flowing skirt. She had on simple but attractive makeup, though her eyes were rimmed red. Her smile was bright, and she held a half-full wine glass.

“Oh, hello,” David said. “I’m—”

“The David, aren’t you?” she asked, and smiled widely. It didn’t sound as if she’d been crying, but her voice was slow and sweet. “I follow Matteo’s insta now. It’s hard to not recognize you.” She stuck out her hand. “I’m Victoria.”

“Ah, the new flatmate,” David said. He shuffled his portfolio under his arm and took her hand. “Nice to meet you.”

“Come in, come in,” Victoria said, as if he hadn’t been there a dozen times before. As if he hadn’t been three times in the past two weeks, but he kept missing meeting her for whatever reason. She called out into the flat, “Matteo! Your boy is here!”

David stepped into the flat, and the smell of weed hit him immediately. It explained a lot about Victoria’s eyes. 

“David!” Stella yelled. She ran from Matteo’s room into the living room, where he and Jasmine had just stepped into. She moved a little wobbly.

David sighed. He’d been hoping to get Matteo’s opinions on some of his draft storyboard but clearly this wasn’t going to be the best time for it.

Stella slid into Jasmine’s leg and Victoria laughed. There was other laughter David did not recognize, and he saw a huge butterfly, the biggest he’d ever seen, beautifully blue with a wing span as wide as the length of David’s father’s hands, land in Victoria’s dark hair. 

“Jasmine, come meet our new daemon friend.” And then Stella was scurrying across the living room, though she wobbled side to side a bit. “Come down here and meet Jasmine!”

Jasmine gave David a look but followed dutifully. They both knew that Stella was going to crash any moment now, and probably demand that Jasmine or Matteo carry her around. 

“Hey,” Matteo said, coming out of his room carrying a beer. His eyes were half lidded and his smile softer than usual, which was a feat because it usually was. David took off his rucksack and leaned his portfolio against the couch because he knew what was coming, and he wasn’t wrong. Matteo greeted him by leaning into him, nearly draping himself against David. David staggered back a step, but easily righted them. Matteo was touchy-freely at the best of times, but even more so when he was stoned. 

“Well isn’t that gay,” Victoria said. She took a lounging seat on one of the couches. Her butterfly flew to land on one of the arms of the couch, and Stella tried to jump up to him, but she just ended up falling onto her butt and laughing. 

“Good thing we are,” Matteo agreed.

“High five!” Victoria leaned over and held out a hand and Matteo high fived it. It was a weak attempt and he almost fell over, stumbling into the couch. She giggled at him.

Matteo had told David Victoria had been up front right away about being gay, and that she would be ‘cool with things.’ Not that Matteo had told her anything but he had, apparently, done some quiet investigation through some of their—probably stoned—discussions to see just what kind of ‘supportive gay’ she would be, if David decided to tell Matteo’s flatmates he was trans. It was apparently an issue in parts of the community, and the last thing they wanted was any drama. But everyone in the WG would be good with it, Matteo had said, without any pressure that David actually say anything.

Matteo liked her. They got along. They smoked together and made gay jokes and ate each other’s food without getting mad. And that was enough for David.

“Wanna smoke?” Matteo asked. 

“We can definitely light another,” Victoria said.

David shook his head. “No, I’m okay. I have work I should do. I was going to ask your help but I can get it tomorrow. I’ll go down to the cafe and—”

“David, no.” It was quiet and desperate and possibly the sweetest protest in the world. Matteo threw his arms around David and squeezed hard. “Don’t leave me. You just got here.”

“You’d think they never see each other,” Stella said. She was laying on the floor, stomach down, her four little limbs stretched out to the sides. Jasmine sat next to her, and the butterfly daemon flew back up to Victoria’s hair.

“Never ever. It’s been forever,” Matteo said.

“It was yesterday,” David said. “And I’m staying over tonight, aren’t I?

“Yes, please!” Matteo laughed. He stood up, pinched the bridge of his nose and laughed again. “So I’m sorta fucked.”

“I noticed,” David said dryly.

“I will help you all you want tomorrow,” Matteo said. “Promise.”

David pulled out his mobile and turned on the video, pointing it at Matteo. “What was that?”

Matteo laughed but dutifully repeated, “I will help you tomorrow. Promise. But hang out with me and Victoria today?”

David turned the recording off and put his mobile back in his pocket. “Deal. Now who’s lighting up?”

Jasmine sighed but stalked into Matteo’s room. David knew she was going to go get comfy on her pillow because, just like when she was in public, she hated being big and wobbly inside someone’s home, but she didn’t ask David not to. Amazingly, Stella followed closely on her heels, as best she could, and the two of them would have their own little giggle fest. It didn’t look like Matteo felt a thing, that Stella went into the next room without him.

“Your daemons are weird,” Victoria said, reaching for Matteo’s little brown paraphernalia bag that was on the living room table, her butterfly’s wings moving gently with the movement. “I love it.”

David grinned. Matteo laughed and said, “Us too.”

**

**ABDI:**  
_Lake today?  
Lake today.  
9:01_

_HEY. Wake up, you lazy asses.  
9:35_

**MATTEO:**  
_Why are you like this.  
9:43_

**ABDI:**  
_Lake!  
9:44_

**CARLOS:**  
_Ok, ok.  
You’ve been going to the lake a lot lately.  
9:40_

**MATTEO:**  
_One guess as to why  
9:41_

**JONAS:**  
_Have you made a move yet? At least asked her out?  
9:50_

**ABDI:**  
_Today is the day, boys.  
9:52_

**MATTEO:**  
_Sure, sure.  
I’m sure having all your friends there will be really helpful.  
9:54_

**ABDI:**  
_Yes, thank you! I agree!  
9:58_

**JONAS:**  
_Alright, boys. Let’s go and support him in this.  
10:07_

**DAVID:**  
_Can’t make it.  
But good luck!  
10:20_

**ABDI:**  
_Bro :(  
10:30_

**DAVID:**  
_How’d it go?  
15:21_

**JONAS:**  
_Don’t ask.  
15:24_

**MATTEO:**  
_I’ll tell you about it later.  
15:25_

**CARLOS:**  
_What’s to tell? He just… didn’t do anything.  
15:26_

**ABDI:**  
_That’s not true! I smiled at her.  
15:28_

**MATTEO:**  
_I’ll do an impression of it for you later.  
15:29_

**

David kissed Matteo. They were in Matteo’s bed, and supposed to be getting up so they could go to Carlos and Kiki’s flat to do a little filming. But kisses were distracting, and so was Matteo’s warmth. David pulled Matteo closer, rolled onto his back until Matteo was covering him.

“You’re sure you’re okay with this?” David asked as Matteo kissed his neck.

“Are we about to fuck? Because yes,” Matteo said. His legs slid slightly so he was straddling David’s thigh, and David pressed his leg up. Matteo moaned.

“No, I mean the shooting,” David said. “The story, the—ah.” David exhaled as Matteo bit lightly at his neck.

Matteo pushed up onto his hands and glared down at David. David grinned and traced Matteo’s jaw with his finger. Matteo only raised an eyebrow.

“Are you trying to talk about filming _now_?” he asked.

“Yes,” David said. “Get used to it. I want to talk about filming always.”

Matteo sighed and lowered his head to David’s collarbone, kissing it lightly where his t-shirt stretched and exposed skin, before flopping down more fully. David made an _oomph_ sound, but put his arms around Matteo’s bare back. 

Matteo’s hand slid under the t-shirt, but didn’t get too high. His thumb rubbed the skin just above David’s belly button.

“What exactly do you want to talk about,” he said with a sigh.

David kissed his temple. “You’re sure you’re okay with the script?”

“There’s not much of a script,” Matteo said. “You said you’re doing voiceover.”

This was true. Sara was the only friend David had that actually had any acting talent, that he was aware of, and while he knew the others that were willing to help could take direction in body position or action, he wasn’t too sure about line delivery. He’d solved that problem with Jonas’ music and David telling the story in sparse yet impactful voiceover. 

“You’re going to be doing some action,” David pointed out. He trailed two fingers up and down Matteo’s arm. “Including getting close to two different people.”

“You said no kissing,” Matteo said. “Other than on the cheek.”

“Cheek kisses only,” David agreed.

Matteo had a good confused face when someone kissed him on the cheek when he wasn’t expecting it. David truly hoped he’d be able to translate that to the script. 

Though, David’s original idea had been to have actual kisses—but Matteo had looked thoroughly uncomfortable with that, especially after David had convinced both Sara and Jonas to play the love interests. But they would be able to make this work. It was even more meaningful, he thought, without any real kisses.

People who are lost and confused and are not confident? In David’s experience, they don’t get a lot of kisses. Not until they find the right person, and this isn’t even what this story is about.

“I just want to make sure,” David said. “That you’re okay with helping me—”

Matteo pushed up onto one elbow again. “How many times do I have to tell you that I am? I want to help. This is going to be awesome. You’re going to be awesome.” Under David’s shirt, Matteo’s fingers fanned out, covering as much skin over David’s belly as he could.

“Now,” Matteo said, and nuzzled David’s cheek. “Can we please, please make out before we go?”

“Just make out?” David said, pulling Matteo closer. He nipped at Matteo’s chin. “That’s really all you want?”

Matteo made a noise in the back of his throat and started to push up David’s shirt so he could kiss the bare skin at his midriff. He definitely wanted more.

Three things happened at once.

Hans burst into the room with a loud, “Good morning, butterfly!”

Matteo yelled, “Fuck off!” while quickly pulling the covers over his and David’s body.

And Jasmine roared.

It wasn’t her loudest or her meanest roar, but for someone who was not expecting it, it was probably a lot.

“Jesus!” Hans said, and the door quickly closed. 

David peeked over the top of the blanket. “He’s gone.” He tried to calm his beating heart. Nothing could have been seen, he knew, but he didn’t want Hans to suspect, or to stare, or to outright ask awkward questions.

“Jesus fucking Christ,” Matteo said. “I’ll go yell at him.” He slipped out under the covers without exposing David, though David didn’t want him to leave.

“Hey, just forget it,” David said, pulling at Matteo’s boxers. They pulled down slightly but Matteo quickly caught the elastic band and hitched them up. Then he picked up a pair of shorts from the floor and hopped around on one foot then the other as he tugged them on.

“I have _told_ him,” Matteo said, angry in a way he didn’t usually get. “He shoudn’t—not while we’re—he needs to fucking knock at least!” Matteo’s voice rose at the end at the sentence.

David flopped back on the bed. Even though he was under the blankets, he pulled down his t-shirt, feeling better protected with it arranged to cover his belly. 

He didn’t want attention drawn to this, and Matteo wouldn’t do that, not _specifically_ , but from the sound of his angry voice filtering into the room, it was clear Matteo was making a big stink about _privacy_.

Hans clearly apologized, but seemed to make some sort of joke because Matteo said, “That’s not fucking funny. Just knock! And wait until I say it’s okay to come in.”

“Okay, okay,” Hans said loudly.

“And next time,” Matteo said, as he entered his room. He shouted over his shoulder, “Jasmine will bite your ankles.”

“Don’t say that!” David said loudly. “Sorry, Hans—”

Matteo slammed the door, spinning in a circle as he let go. He stopped and faced Jasmine. “On it?”

“On it,” she replied.

“No, you are not,” David said. He sat up in bed, leaning back on his hands, and glared at them both. “There will no biting of anyone’s ankles. Especially Hans’.” He looked at Matteo. “We have to remember to lock the door. It’s that easy.”

“It’s more than that,” Matteo said. More like whined. “He used to do that before. I just want him to respect my privacy. _Our_ privacy.” Matteo climbed onto the bed, from the bottom, and crawled over to David. David continued to glare at him, but Matteo put his hands on either side of David’s hips, leaned in, and kissed the tip of his nose.

David glared.

“ _Fine_ ,” Matteo said. “Jasmine, please no biting anyone’s ankles.”

“Got it,” Jasmine said. “Wink wink.”

Stella laughed. David flopped backwards, but pushed Matteo off of him when he tried to follow him down for kisses. “No.” David evaded Matteo trying to pin him down, and slid off the bed. He looked for his rucksack so he could get properly dressed for the day. 

“What? Come on,” Matteo said, muffled. He was face down in a pillow.

“Work. We have work to do.”

“You want to go back to questioning me and my commitment to the film?” He lifted his head and batted his eyelashes. “I might need some more convincing.”

“Too late, you said you were fine,” David said. He pulled his binder out of his rucksack. Leering at Matteo, he said, “But you do good today, we’ll see about rewards later.”

“Deal,” Matteo said, and hopped out of bed quickly. 

“Too easy.”

“For you? Always,” Matteo said. He patted David’s fluffy hair as he walked by. “But that’ll have to wait until later.”

**

**MATTEO:**  
_How’s Laura? And that Simon guy.  
15:13_

**DAVID:**  
_Good. They say hello and that you’ll have to join us next time.  
How’s your Mom?  
15:15_

**MATTEO:**  
_Hello back.  
She’s good. And says you’ll have to join us next time.  
15:16_

**DAVID:**  
_We have to arrange plans better.  
And we also skipped out on helping Carlos and Kiki.  
15:18_

**MATTEO:**  
_What do we know about fixing sinks?  
15:19_

**DAVID:**  
_Nothing.  
15:20_

**MATTEO:**  
_We never made an actual commitment this time.  
You know who else skipped out? Even though she said she would go?  
15:24_

**DAVID:**  
_Who?  
15:26_

**MATTEO:**  
_Hanna. Because she had to go out with boring Stefan.  
I think Jonas is upset.  
15:27_

**DAVID:**  
_Sucks. But does he really have a right to be?  
15:28_

**MATTEO:**  
_YES  
15:28_

**DAVID:**  
_Ok ok  
15:29_

**MATTEO:**  
_You think he shouldn’t be?  
15:30_

**DAVID:**  
_Maybe, but he’s not with her. And she’s with someone else.  
So… I don’t know, tough call.  
15:31_

**MATTEO:**  
_Yeah.  
15:33_

**DAVID:**  
_I don’t want him upset, though. Is there a way we can help him?  
Get over her, I mean.  
15:34_

**MATTEO:**  
_I don’t know. Especially since, according to Sam and Amira and Kiki  
She doesn’t even like Stefan a super lot.  
15:35_

**DAVID:**  
_They told you that?  
15:36_

**MATTEO:**  
_They told Jonas that today  
while painting and fixing sinks.  
15:40_

**DAVID:**  
_That’s not going to help him get over her at all  
15:41_

**MATTEO:**  
_nope  
15:41_

**

The next couple weeks of summer were filled with spending time working on his film application—which was taking much more time than he ever thought would be necessary—and spending time with Matteo, and their friends, while doing so. It was the best.

One year ago, David would never have thought he’d have the kind of friends who would be so helpful with such a daunting task. Hell, he never even thought he’d have friends, but here he was.

And they were all so deeply talented, and kind. Jonas with his music, sitting down with David for coffee a couple times to discuss the feel of the film, and then sampling an amazing little soundtrack, exactly as David had imagined. Sam, sending him sketches she worked on while at her job at the lake, and then actually putting them together and sending pictures. Abdi and Carlos happily helping out where they could, and animatedly talking to David about aliens and what this film meant. 

While the film felt deeply personal to David, in ways his friends couldn’t understand, the themes were definitely relatable, and they all _got_ it, each in their own way and differently from David.

That, he was most proud of. He felt like that was true filmmaking.

Hopefully the selection board for his program felt the same.

**

“We should go to the dinosaur apocalypse,” Matteo said one afternoon. He was playing video games on his laptop out on the balcony while David sat at his desk. The windows were open and the light summer breeze—no longer sweltering—wafted in.

Jasmine lay out on the balcony at Matteo’s feet, stretched out in the sun. Stella was avoiding the heat by sitting under the desk while David worked.

“What was that?” David asked, a little distracted. He looked up from his own laptop, where he’d been editing together some of the film. He’d finally got the scene where Matteo turns Green Alien to Human Alien right. They might have to film it a couple more times though, for different locations.

“You still have that one scene you were talking about,” Matteo said. “To, like, signify the alien’s emptiness.”

“Yeah,” David said. 

“We could revisit the dinosaur apocalypse,” Matteo said. “It would be a good setting.”

“I had thought about that,” David said. “But I think it’s the wrong time of year. The place is depressing, sure, but it’ll be so sunny and there’s all the trees and stuff.”

“Hmm, true,” Matteo said. He tilted his head, thinking. “But you used Carlos and Kiki’s apartment a lot, and the outside _and_ stairwell of your shit building—”

“Hey,” David protested mildly. Very mildly because, yeah, his building was shit and actually was a good setting for a depressed alien to avoid his first alien’s kiss with a dude. Jonas had been a trooper, dealing with it.

“But you still need… something.” Matteo frowned. “I wish I had an idea for that.”

“Actually, I think I do.” David grinned at Matteo. “Up for an adventure tomorrow?”

Matteo raised his eyebrows. “Does it include breaking into places we shouldn’t be?”

“After getting there on bike.” 

Matteo made a face, but then he smiled. “Count me in.”

**

“This is fucking perfect,” Matteo said.

“Right? I’ve always wanted to come here,” David said. Even in the bright daylight, the inside of the building of the abandoned Soviet base was dark and creepy. Of course, they were in the basement part where they’d just snuck in, and their mobile flashlights were necessary. 

“This is so cool,” Stella said. She was on Matteo’s shoulder, with some complaint because she wanted to explore on her own, but Matteo didn’t trust the debris and the possibility of her falling through floors below without him.

“It’s fine,” Jasmine said.

“It’s daaaaaark,” Stella teased.

David didn’t love the darkness of the basement either, but it wasn’t so bad. It’s not like they were alone, and their mobile flashlights help. There was a specific dark they didn’t like much, anyway, and this wasn’t it.

“Let’s get upstairs,” he said.

Matteo and Stella both made _oooooooh_ sounds, because sometimes they were assholes. 

“Too dark for you?” Matteo teased.

“Technically speaking, yes,” David said. “We’re not vampires, remember?”

“Aliens are from space,” Stella mused. “Space is dark, isn’t it?”

“Except for the stars,” Jasmine said.

“Aliens,” David said, “are from alien planets. I’m sure there are some with lightbulbs.”

They found stairs and explored their way up a little, passing through hallways with chipping paint from time and wear, and many abandoned rooms. As they emerged into the upper levels, it was brighter. But it still seemed dank and creepy, and… lonely.

“This might work, actually,” David said. He stopped and pulled the gimbal out of the backpack he’d been carrying, and attached his mobile.

Matteo’s alien didn’t have a daemon, so Matteo put Stella down, and she immediately started exploring the little room. There wasn’t a lot in there, though, but she kept herself busy. Jasmine trailed close on her tail, keeping an eye out.

David took some shots of the room itself, without Matteo. And then Matteo in his alien form, with the green mask and blanket around his shoulders. And then some of Matteo after his alien transformation—his human face was his disguise—looking out the window, sad and lonely.

It was sometimes unsettling, watching Matteo slip into that. He was such a fucking goof most of the time, with a lazy smirk or a little smile, his bright eyes watching David and everything around them.

And then there were these times. When the bright light dimmed. When his face went blank. When he stared with a dead expression, as if he really was a million miles away.

“That’s good,” David said, after he stopped recording. Matteo turned his face to him, blinked twice, and the blankness was gone. He smiled, a little, as if seeking reassurance, and David gave him a kiss because everything in him wanted to.

“Come,” Matteo said. He was often ready to leave the spaces he lost himself as soon as possible. “Let’s keep exploring.”

**

“Holy shit,” Stella said. Her little voice bounced off the ceramic walls of the abandoned pool room. “This is fucking _awesome_.”

Matteo just smiled, and then he let out a whistle. It echoed around them. David whistled in turn.

“The fucking coolest,” Matteo agreed.

“This has to be a scene,” David said, glancing around. “I don’t even know how to make it work, but I got to.”

“You got to,” Matteo agreed. “So, Mr. Director, tell me what you want.”

“Daemons, you gotta be quiet okay? I don’t want any other echoing noise while I film.”

Stella huffed, “Fine.” But Jasmine bent down and Stella climbed up onto her neck to help eliminate any extra noise.

David brought out the gimbal and started to record. “Just climb down into the pool and walk around.”

Matteo slipped into his character, the depressed lonely alien, and it threw David for a second again. How good he was at it. But Matteo walked slowly to the ladder and swung himself down. He stood for a moment, turning in a circle and taking in all the views. David made a mental note to do the exact same, stand there and look around, but filming with the camera. Get Matteo’s exact point of view. 

Then he strolled slowly down to the deep end of the pool. At one point he jumped up and swung a hand at the lane dividers, and then he reached the end, putting his hands against the poolside, doing a lazy push up. Then he turned, his back against the tile, and slid down to sit. He stared up at the ceiling above them, then slumped down and curled into the fetal position.

David held for a moment, but then paused. “Good,” he said quietly, trying not to frown. It reminded him too much of when he found Matteo, sad and distraught Matteo, at the dinosaur apocalypse. 

Matteo turned his head and blinked up at him. “Think you could do that all again?” David asked. “But with me filming from down there.”

Matteo shrugged and then pushed himself up from the floor. “Sure,” he said. “It wasn’t hard.”

“Yeah,” David said quietly, and got down into the pool.

“Can we come down now?” Stella asked. “We’ll stay out of the way.”

“Sure,” David said. He was going to be doing close ups of Matteo and they’d be low enough that they shouldn’t be caught on camera.

They went through the whole thing again, Matteo coming down into the pool and walking along under one of the lane dividers. Jumping up to hit it at some point. Reaching the end and sliding down, and curling up. David didn’t know if it would be an exact match, but editing was something he had to work on so hopefully he could make a scene of this. If not, either the wide shot or just the close up would do. He would make this work in the film.

“Okay,” David said, standing. “This is perfect.”

Matteo pushed himself up again. “That’s because it’s me.” He smirked a little, but there was something off there. As if he was still a sad alien. 

“Did you know,” David said. He gestured around. “We’re underwater right now?”

A smile tugged at Matteo’s lips. “Are we?”

“Yup,” David said. “Bet I can hold my breath longer than you.”

“Loser makes breakfast tomorrow,” Matteo said immediately.

David laughed, delighted. “Deal.”

They both took in deep breaths and held it as long as they could. Matteo made his eyes go wide and tried to make a goofy face, and David had to hold back a smile. He pursed his lips and scrunched his nose and he wasn’t going to let out his breath. That didn’t mean he couldn’t play this game. He stepped right up to Matteo, only an inch apart. David made a little gesture, a whole jerk of his body, meant to scare Matteo. Matteo just rolled his eyes.

Then Matteo leaned in and kissed David. Pressed his lips right to David’s mouth. David gently kissed him back, but did not let any air out. He was holding his breath, he was. He rubbed his nose gently against Matteo’s.

And Matteo let out a deep sigh.

“I won,” David said.

“Fuck you,” Matteo answered. “You’re a cheater.”

“You cheated first! Not that I cheated,” David added on. But it was too late, Matteo picked that up quick.

He pointed an accusing finger at David. “You admit it! We’re both cheaters. We should try again.”

“Why?” David said. “So we can both cheat? I win.”

“Fuck you, you don’t.”

David looked Matteo up and down. Then he bit gently on his bottom lip as he met Matteo’s gaze, his eyes wide. “I really do,” David said, in the sweetest voice he could muster.

Matteo said, “You fucking asshole.” But he couldn’t hold in the little smile, couldn’t hold back the way David had got to him.

“Oh yeah,” David said. “I win.”

Stella chimed in, “You have to make us pancakes!” She wiggled her little body, her butt swinging side to side. “You have to make us pancakes!”

“Can you get us bacon too?” Jasmine asked Matteo.

Matteo threw his hands into the air but he laughed. “Fine, fine, you win. I’ll make us pancakes with bacon.”

There was a hearty cheer. 

David wasn’t sure what it was in that moment, but he knew he needed to record it. He picked up the gimbal and hit the record button on his phone. He aimed it at Matteo. Matteo smirked at the camera but then he turned. He faced away from David. David backed up, panning out from Matteo. The daemons had instinctively gone quiet.

The entire place was quiet, which didn’t seem like something that could happen, it was so echoey in there. But it did. David backed up more and more and waited.

Matteo stood there, head tilted up to the sky, but it seemed so different than when he was slouched against the side of the pool, lonely and defeated. He had a comfortable stance, a confident one.

He put his arms out to the side, head tilting all the way back, and he yelled, “Woooooooo!” followed by a little laugh.

It was loud and joyful. It bounced off the walls, echoing around them, surrounding them with its beauty.

Then it went quiet again. Suddenly, Stella cried out, in her high pitched little girly voice, “Woooooooo!” with a little laugh. It mimicked Matteo’s perfectly, but was so different.

David kept the camera on Matteo. Matteo turned to find Stella, his smile wide and happy, like he’d just heard the best sound ever. It was love, everything about him right now, the way he walked and smiled. He was love.

David filmed Matteo walking over to Stella, and Jasmine stood back out of the shot. She knew what was happening.

Matteo crouched down, and Stella was right in front of him.

“Hi, soul,” he said, smiling at her.

“Hi, human,” she replied, and giggled.

He reached out his hand and she rubbed her face against it, lovingly.

This was it. This was the final shot of his movie. This was everything David wanted to say. 

“Perfect,” he said. 

They both looked at him, at the camera. The movie was over, the shot done, but David kept recording because he couldn’t stop. He wanted to have this precious moment, have the love of his life and his beautiful little daemon, on film like this.

“This is just us,” Matteo said.

“I know. Perfect,” David said.

Matteo rolled his eyes but he wasn’t fooling anyone, he looked so happy. Stella scratched at his knee, so he scooped her up to cuddle her close, because he would never, ever deny her that when he knew she really wanted it, and dropped a kiss onto her head.

“Let’s sit for a bit?” Matteo said, and backed up so he was leaning against the pool wall again. David joined him, and they leaned against each other. Stella was in Matteo’s arms, and Jasmine insisted on being on David’s other side, her big head leaning against David’s. 

David wasn’t recording, but he used the gimbal to snap a couple pictures of them.

“What now?” Stella asked.

“Actually, I was just thinking,” David asked. “Do you mind if I take a bit of footage of Stella?”

“Me?” she squeaked.

“Stella?” Matteo asked, eyebrows raised.

“Yes,” David said. “Just making her way through the building. So we can backtrack the way we came in and I can film her walking down the stairs, through the corridors, in that abandoned room. Would that work?”

“We should go soon then,” Jasmine said. “So we don’t lose light and it doesn’t look too different.”

“Good point,” David said. “You guys in? It’s okay if you don’t want to, I’ll make it work—”

“Of course we’re in,” Stella said. “This is going to be my big break.”

Matteo laughed. “It’s supposed to be David’s big break.”

“Fine, he can come along,” she said loftily.

“Up,” David said. He pushed himself up and then reached out for Matteo, and he juggled Stella in one hand as he took David’s and got to his feet. “Thank you, by the way,” David said as they walked towards the shallow end of the pool and to the ladder. Jasmine took a running start, swiftly moving past them, and easily jumped up to the pool edge.

“Show off!” Stella yelled, but then added on a, “Woo!”

“Thank us for what?” Matteo asked.

David shrugged. “Everything. All this. Helping. Being in most the film, for one. Allowing Stella to, for second.”

“She wants to, it’s her choice,” Matteo said. And he reached out with his free hand and took David’s, squeezing it. “And of course I’ll help. I want to.”

David stopped, tugging on Matteo’s hand so he stopped too. “Still. Thanks.”

Matteo kissed David’s cheek. “You’re welcome. Maybe you should be making the pancakes—”

“Nope!” Jasmine yelled down, and David laughed. “That’s your job!”

“ _Fine_ ,” Matteo said in complaint, though he looked much to happy for it to truly be one. “Come on, let’s get this done and get home.”

“We don’t want security dogs to show up,” Jasmine said.

“What?” Stella said. “Is that an option?”

Matteo lifted her to the side of the pool so he could get up the ladder.

“Isn’t it always?” Jasmine replied.

“Why do we let them drag us to these places,” Stella complained in a mumble, following Jasmine’s footsteps out of the pool room.

“Fine, next time we’ll stay home,” Matteo said. He winked at David just as Stella complained, “Like hell!”

“I love you,” David said, kissing Matteo quickly. “And your ridiculous daemon.”

“I heard that!” Stella yelled. “Now move your ass, lazy butts! We have filming to do.”

David gestured at Matteo, mostly so that he could catch up to Stella and they didn’t get separation pains. “After you.”

“Thank you, good sir,” he said, with a bow of his head, and they both followed the daemons.

They got the work done quickly, since it was just backtracking their steps out, and Stella was a little trooper who followed David’s instructions. They made it out of the building and back out on the road outside the gates before anyone caught them, which was a good thing, because David wanted to keep exploring with these three.

**

Amira stirred the spoon in her ice tea, her eyes downcast. Abasi sat directly on her lap, which David didn’t think he’d ever seen before. She wasn’t herself at all, and neither was Abasi.

“Hey,” David said. He sat across the table from her in the small restaurant. “You okay?”

“Hm?” She looked up and put on an obviously forced smile. “Of course. What were you saying?”

“About the gym…” He’d met her after a session she was at and got a quick tour. It seemed alright to him, and there were even individual change rooms for those who may want them. 

Today, Amira even got to met her hero, a Muslim boxer named Zeina Nasser. Amira should be happy. Bubbly and smiley, like when she was ecstatic. But she seemed so down, and it worried him. 

David couldn’t leave this. “No, wait, are you sure you’re okay? You don’t seem it.” Gently, he added, “You can talk to me, you know.”

She sighed and rubbed her hands over her face. She shook her head. “Everything is a mess right now. I don’t think I’m going to Australia,” she said glumly. 

“What?” This was so shocking even Jasmine got up from her relaxed position beside the table to look at them all.

“It’s—” Amira waved her hand. “There was a whole thing, and I upset my parents. And I don’t think they’ll let me go.”

“You can’t make that decision for yourself?”

“Yes, but…no.” She shook her head. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“Clearly not,” David said. “But I’d like to, if you would just talk to me.”

There was a time when David didn’t think he’d ever want to talk to Amira ever again. This was years and years ago, when Laura and Omar were still friends at the very least—though they’d probably been secretly dating at the time, if David thought about it—and they wanted their younger siblings, who did not go to the same school, to know each other and be friends. And David was just beginning to accept who he really was, had been out to his family and recently at his school. He and Amira had got into a heated discussion about gender identity, and also homosexuality, and some rather harsh things had been said. Even Jasmine and Abasi had a verbal sparring match. It had messed with things in David’s head even more, and at the time, he didn’t want Amira or her opinions in his life.

David had changed a lot since then. And so had Amira.

They’d both grown up.

Amira had since accepted him for who he was. They’d apologized for their anger with each other during and after that fight, and after he’d transferred schools they’d become good friends. And now all he wanted was for her to talk to him. About anything she wanted.

“How come they don’t want you to go to Australia?” David asked. Maybe Amira would talk if he asked questions.

“I disappointed them. I acted, in their eyes, inappropriate.”

“How so?” David reached for his glass of ice tea.

“I punch someone at the henna night.”

David paused with the glass half way to his mouth. It was a good thing he wasn’t drinking it, because he would have spit it out for sure. “You _what_?” He’d seen the pictures on Instagram, she’d looked beautiful and Kiki looked so happy to be there, but there was of course no indication there’d been a fight.

“I—it’s hard to explain, but this girl I know, she was being awful about me. And my friends. My having so many non-Muslim friends. It just—made me so mad.”

“So you punched her?” 

“Yup.”

He tried not to laugh, but he made a strangled choked off noise. “So the gym is going well.”

Her shoulders sagged. “It was not—I shouldn’t have done that to her. To any one. And I got upset with Kiki and yelled at her, and now she hates me. But I just…” She shook her head. “I’m stuck between two worlds, and it’s hard because there’s hate on one side, and hate on the other, and I have friends that I love on one and friends that I love on the other. But none of them get it. I’m caught in the middle.”

“My experiences are nothing like yours,” David said. “But I do understand some of that. Being stuck in the middle. Dealing with all the hate.”

“How do you not want to just yell and scream and fight everyone, every day?” Amira asked. 

“I mostly just wanted to hide,” David said. “To go by unnoticed. Just make it through day by day.”

“You shouldn’t have to,” she said.

“I know. I know that. And now it’s different.”

“Is it? You haven’t even told our friends you’re transgender.”

A low noise escaped Jasmine, not quite a growl but on its way there. David’s chest felt tight, like maybe he couldn’t breathe right, and for once it had nothing to do with his binder.

Amira immediately said, “I am sorry. That was out of line.” She put her fingers to her forehead, and she looked more distressed than he’d ever seen her. He didn’t have the heart to be angry. Besides, she wasn’t wrong. It was a hard truth to hear.

“I understand that it’s different,” Amira said. “You shouldn’t have to tell anyone that. But I walk down the street, and people know I’m Muslim. I get stares and comments and some day it might get worse.”

David took a deep breath. He did understand that. Being out at his old school had been hell, and he’d experienced so much disgust hurled at him. And even now, it wasn’t like he never got stared at, because he did. Some days he just didn’t pass, not by all societal standards. Some days he sat too close to Matteo on the bus or at a restaurant or smiled at him with so much love, and people _knew_. And they hated.

But saying this to Amira wouldn’t help. It wouldn’t change Amira’s experiences, or how they made her feel. 

“You shouldn’t have to live with that hate, and neither should I,” David said. “But you can’t change who you are, and neither can I, and neither of us can change the entire world and make them understand. And I tried the hiding thing, closing people out, and it was so… lonely. I guess we just have to figure out the best way to move forward. To make moments of happiness in the middle of the...”

“Awful world?” she suggested.

He shrugged. “Something like that. In life. Life is hard, and sometimes sad. But we can have our happiness. We just have to fight harder for it sometimes.”

She stirred her spoon again. “I guess. I just don’t know how to do that right now.”

“Okay, I know I haven’t come out to everyone yet—”

“And you don’t have to,” she said determinedly, as if to make up for her previous remark.

He smiled. “I know. And I think the only advice I can give to you, were you to want it—”

“Please, anything.”

“About your friends, on all sides. Talk to them. Tell them about who you are and how you feel.”

“They might not want to hear it,” she said. “It might not make a difference.”

“It will,” David said. “Back in the spring? When Matteo and I weren’t on the same page, when I was afraid to tell him about me… you know how we got past that, right?”

“How?” she asked curiously. 

“Talking. Haven’t you been listening?” David gave her a soft smile. “It was difficult and I was afraid and, yes, maybe he could have rejected me. But I wouldn’t know unless I told him the truth. And even after that, it took a lot more communication. It still does. You can’t change the world overnight, but you can start by talking to your friends.”

She sighed. “I know.”

They went quiet for a moment, but then Jasmine suddenly spoke to David through their link. _Something else is wrong._

_Like what?_

_I don’t know. Ask about Mohammed._

It surprised him, so much that he couldn’t help but ask about it.

“So,” he said cautiously. “How are things with Mohammed?”

Abasi snuggled closer to Amira, and she sighed and leaned her cheek against the top of his head.

David had seen this before, in Matteo and Stella.

Things with Mohammed were not going well. He’d put money on it.

“He and I aren’t… we were never together, but.” She shrugged. “It’s not happening anymore, whatever it was.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Amira,” David said, feeling awful for bringing it up at all. He glared at Jasmine, but she only leaned her head against him too.

“It’s… I called it off,” Amira said. “And I—why did Omar and Laura break up?”

David blinked at her. That was a complete one eighty, and not remotely relevant.

Unless it was.

“I think because… it was too hard for him, with family obligations. Their religious differences were too much. But maybe it was something else. Maybe it was more than that. I don’t know. She never really said much more than that.”

“I talked to him yesterday. He’s best friends with Mohammed. He was writing him rap lyrics about being blood brothers,” she said, rolling her eyes, and for the first time there was a ghost of a smile on her face. But then it faded. “Mohammed isn’t religious.”

“Oh,” David said. It explained her question about Laura. “And is this why you called it off, then?”

She nodded. “I just—religion is everything to me. And I thought he was Muslim but he isn’t. He doesn’t practice anymore, and… it’s hard to explain.”

“Okay,” David said. He didn’t want to push. “I don’t think you should go by our siblings’ examples, though. It sounds like a very different situation.”

She shook her head. “You know what else Omar said?”

“No.”

“That not trying harder to work it out with Laura was one of his biggest regrets.”

They remain silent for a little while, but then David said, “Only you know you feelings. And if they’re strong enough to want to work it out. Or at least try.”

“Laura was not brought up on Islam,” Jasmine said. Everyone looked at her in surprise, but she was looking at David. She spoke to no one other than David, save for Matteo and sometimes Laura, and she kept to that now. But it was clear she wanted to be heard. “He protected the door at the Soliparty so she could pray in peace. He understood.”

There was information in that statement that he didn’t quite know how to parse through, which was rare for him and Jasmine, but he had a feeling all of that was for Amira anyway.

“He did,” Amira said quietly. 

Abasi turned his head in Jasmine’s direction. “How did you know? You weren’t there.”

“Stella told me,” Jasmine said. 

Abasi rested his head against Amira again and said to her, ever so sadly, “I miss Kanza.”

David didn’t know who Kanza was, but he had a suspicion it was the beautiful owl daemon that he’d seen flying at Jonas’ birthday party.

“Me too.” Amira sighed.

“I don’t know if you want my advice on this,” David said, “but what I said before stands. If you want to work it out with him, you need to talk to him.”

“I just don’t know if I should,” she said.

“And that’s a decision you’ll have to make. I did too, when it came to Matteo. Go forward with it, or let him go and move on.” He shrugged and gave a half-smile. “You see how that worked out.”

“I do,” Amira said. “I really do. Thank you,” she added. “For listening to me.”

“Anytime,” he said. “Anytime at all.”

**

**DAVID:**  
_I love you.  
19:19_

**MATTEO:**  
_Love you!  
19:20_

_Not that I’m complaining, by what was that about?  
19:21_

**DAVID**  
_Just had a visit with a heartsick friend today  
And it made me think about us.  
19:23_

**MATTEO:**  
_SAP!  
Also do we have to beat up the guy with good hair?  
19:24_

**DAVID:**  
_Do you really think you could beat anyone up?  
19:25_

**MATTEO:**  
_No but for Amira I’d try  
19:26_

**DAVID:**  
_She can take care of herself  
19:27_

**MATTEO:**  
_I heard a rumour about that today….  
19:28_

**DAVID:**  
_How was your appointment?  
19:30_

**MATTEO:**  
_Like any appointment with my psychologist  
Intense. Hard. Good.  
19:33_

**DAVID:**  
_Wanna talk about it?  
19:34_

**MATTEO:**  
_Is it okay if we don’t?  
19:39_

**DAVID:**  
_Of course  
19:49_

**MATTEO:**  
_It’s not that I don’t want to. But it’s like this.  
Therapy = intense, hard, difficult. Worst hour ever. But in a good way?  
David = I tell you all the same stuff anyway. But in an easier way. Natural, not forced into an appointment time limit. When I’m ready, I tell you in a better way.  
Because you’re better.  
You’re the best.  
19:55_

**DAVID:**  
_SAP!  
19:56_

**MATTEO:**  
_I love you.  
19:56_

**DAVID:**  
_Love you too.  
19:57_

**

“Editing today?” Matteo asked as he poured a cup of coffee. David sat at the kitchen table at his flat, Laura already gone for the day. His head was propped up against one hand so his face didn’t fall flat against the table. He’d been up late editing his film. 

In a shocking turn of events, Matteo was up for the day, already showered, smelling faintly of the soap David favoured. 

“Ugh, no.” David grimaced but then he couldn’t help but smile as Matteo handed him the mug. He took a sip, closing his eyes and savouring the taste. Made to perfection.

“Alright,” Matteo said, a little amused. “Need a break?”

“Yes, I—yes please,” he said. He sighed. “I couldn’t get it to look how I wanted last night.” He frowned. “This whole thing sucks, it’s not going to be good enough—”

“Hey, hey.” Matteo cupped David’s cheeks in his hands and gave him a quick kiss. “You just need a break.”

“Yeah,” David said. “I agree. Do you have plans today?”

“Do I ever?” Matteo asked, making to move away. There was something there, hidden under the rhetorical question that caught David’s attention.

“Hey.” David caught Matteo’s wrist and tugged him back. He put down his coffee and then reached up, putting a thumb to Matteo’s chin. “What’s that about?”

“Nothing,” Matteo said but continued before David could prompt further. “Just texting with my dad this morning.”

David internally cringed though he tried to put on a supportive face for Matteo. Matteo’s relationship with his dad always worried David. The short visit over the summer had been fine, if a bit awkward, but it hadn’t been as awful as Matteo had been nervous about. 

But David had seen Matteo at his lowest, mostly triggered by his father, and he never wanted to see it again. It broke his heart that Matteo struggled like that, and he’d been doing so well this summer. Even after his couple of therapy sessions, self-proclaimed as ‘intense’, he’d been doing well. David didn’t want a slide backwards.

“Yeah?” David said gently. “Wanna talk about it?”

“Not a lot to talk about,” Matteo said. “He was just picking at me to do something.” 

“What do you mean?”

“With my life.”

“You’re on gap year.”

“To him that means I shouldn’t be doing ‘nothing’”—he used ridiculous air quotes, somewhat mocking of how David does and David rolled his eyes, at the gesture as much as the statement. “So he thinks I should get a job. He offered to talk to a friend of his here. Work at his little diner.”

“What do you want to do?”

Matteo shrugged and didn’t answer. David knew he didn’t like talking about it, especially since he didn’t have a plan. David didn’t want to push him into it—Matteo would get there when he was ready, and David would be here to support him when he was, but there was no sense in stressing him out about it.

“Okay,” David said. “We both need a break from thinking—don’t say it, Stella.” Stella has been sitting quietly on the table top watching them talk and she’d just opened her little mouth, probably to make a joke at Matteo’s expense. Usually it was funny but it wasn’t the right time.

“What?” she asked, too innocently. “I was just going to ask if we could go for breakfast.”

David wasn’t buying it, but he’d go with it. “Good idea. My treat.” Matteo made the smallest ‘woo hoo’ gesture ever. David rolled his eyes but stood and pressed a kiss to Matteo’s cheek. “Let’s spend the day together. Go to the park? No film. No parents. No job worries. No therapy. No friends having relationship crises. Nothing but us.” 

“I like this,” he said. “Good plan.”

“Okay. Just give me a few to get ready. And get my lazy daemon up.” Jasmine had not been thrilled staying up so late—though it was probably David’s anxiety over the project that had made her most cranky—and also refused to get off her cushion this morning when David woke up without Matteo in his bed.

“I’ll do it,” Stella said, hopping from the table to the chair to the floor, her little feet pattering across the kitchen floor. “Jasmine! Get your lazy ass up! We’re going for breakfast!”

David grinned, gave Matteo a quick kiss, and then followed the little crazy daemon out of the kitchen.

**

It was an amazing day.

Nothing was extraordinarily special about it. They went for breakfast, sharing their fruit and bacon with the daemons.

They walked to the park, and Matteo had thought ahead to bring the table tennis paddles and ball, so they played a very intense few rounds. David swore he should have won the set, but that sneaky fucker Matteo beat him on the last serve, much to Stella and Jasmine’s delight.

They found a little secluded area and spread out their blanket. They basked in the sun, hands held discreetly between them. They talked quietly about the show they watched last week, the upcoming music festival they were going to take Stella to, a new game Matteo wanted to try with his Nintendo emulator, and they thought about inviting the guys over to have a bit of a tournament. They talked about Mia’s return and what that meant for the WG—she hadn’t asked for her room back, and no one had given Victoria notice to move out. They figured she was going to be staying with Alex for a while.

They did not talk about parents or impending projects or the future looming before them. 

And it was fucking perfect. Almost.

Then David thought, _fuck this _and rolled to his side to snuggle closer. Matteo said nothing of it, just turned and cuddled back. And that was perfect.__

__“Am I allowed to say thank you yet?” Matteo asked._ _

__David rubbed his nose against Matteo’s cheek. “For what?”_ _

__“For the best summer ever,” Matteo said. “It really is almost over.”_ _

__“We have a couple weeks left of nice weather,” David pointed out._ _

__“Because the earth’s on fire,” Matteo said._ _

__“You’re just going to have to save it,” David said._ _

__Matteo squeezed him. “Just maybe.”_ _

__That sounded too much like future talk and they were supposed to be staying away from that. David reached into his pocket and brought out his mobile._ _

__“Pictures,” he said. “Have to document the best summer ever.”_ _

__Matteo grabbed the mobile, and they hammed for the selfies a little. “Insta worthy,” he said, and sent the pictures to himself. He used his phone to upload them, then lightly threw it to the blanket. He reached his hands above his head and stretched with a content sigh._ _

__David leaned in and kissed the middle of his chest. “You’re welcome. And thank _you_.”_ _

__“Hmm?”_ _

__David smiled. He could feel how wide and bright and probably ridiculous it was, but he couldn’t help it. Not in the face of this man he loved._ _

__“It was an amazing summer.”_ _

__Matteo pulled him up so he could snuggled against David’s neck, arms around him tight._ _

__“And here’s to an amazing rest of the year,” David said._ _

__Matteo kissed his neck. “Here’s to it.”_ _


	4. September - Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A DRUCK Season 4 (and beyond) Parallel Universe—with Daemons.
> 
> **
> 
> The continuing story of David and Matteo, and their daemons Jasmine and Stella. (Or, David's Come What May sequel.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A contribution for David Appreciation Week over on tumblr--even though it's a fic I've already been writing, I worked on editing to get this chapter done and put up for this week! Hope you all enjoy. :)

Hans breezed into the doorway of the kitchen, and Fran the parrot flew in and landed on top of the fridge. Hans paused when he saw Matteo. “You owe us pancakes, butterfly! I’ll take three.”

“I don’t owe you shit,” Matteo said, and David had to hide a smile. Matteo was at the stove about to flip one of the pancakes he was making. He pointed at David, sitting at the table with a coffee. “I owe David—”

Jasmine coughed, a little noise from the corner of the kitchen. 

“—and Jasmine pancakes,” Matteo said. He pointed the spatula at Hans. “Not you. You were not in on that bet.”

“A bet, hey?” Hans tilted his hip out and put a hand on it, and shook a finger at Matteo. “You can’t just make your boyfriend pancakes?”

“I can,” Matteo said. “But now I also have to.”

David grinned happily at Hans. “He has to. He’s a couple weeks behind on this, and I had to put my foot down. I want my pancakes.”

“Nice, I like it,” Hans said. “But there is extra, yes?”

“If I made more batter, I suppose there is,” Matteo said. “But why would I do that?” He fooled absolutely no one—of course he’d give in.

“Mia is here,” Hans said. When Matteo looked at him, he waved a hand dismissively. “Not _here_ , here. Here in Berlin. She’s at Alex’s.”

“I heard,” Matteo said. There had been a cancelled welcome home party when Mia’s train had been delayed, and then apparently she got together with the girls. They hadn’t seen her at the WG since she’d been back.

David knew it was oddly complicated for Matteo—he had nothing against Mia, of course, but he really liked hanging out with Victoria. Probably because Victoria smoked and told dirty jokes and breezed in and out of the flat at all hours of the day. They clicked. David liked her too.

“She’s supposed to come home this morning and we’re going to have a chat and wouldn’t it be nice to have breakfast ready for her?” Hans asked. “Wouldn’t it?”

“She probably won’t show,” Matteo said.

Hans pouted. “You don’t know that!”

“Let’s make her pancakes,” David said, sliding off the chair and coming up beside Matteo. He kissed Matteo’s temple. “I’ll help.”

“I’m supposed to make you pancakes!” Matteo said. “You’re not supposed to help.”

David took the spatula and bumped Matteo’s hip so he moved over. “Make some more batter. I will flip. And you can make me pancakes next weekend.”

“Wait a second,” Matteo complained, even as he started measuring out the mix. “How am I getting so much work here?”

Hans said, “Because you’re an angel. A doll. A man amongst men—”

“Holy shit,” Stella said from her spot where she was sitting with Jasmine. “Matteo, are you recording this? He’s being nice about you.”

“Such jokers around here,” Hans said with a generalized gesture. He pulled out his mobile and took a picture of the pancakes. “I’ll send these to Mia so she knows we’re waiting! Oh, and Linn and Victoria are in the living room. I bet they would love some too.” He left with a flourish before Matteo could complain.

Not that Matteo really would. He liked to act all cool, but David knew that since coming home from the trip, Matteo had been getting closer to his flatmates, opening up a bit more and hanging out with them. Making an effort. It was sweet.

Matteo and David cooked up the pancakes. Then they start making them into pancake faces, and Matteo recorded it because it was hilarious. They made sad faces into the camera and sent it to Mia, wondering when she would come and meet her pancake.

She didn’t show. Hans put on a brave face, and he and Victoria and Linn thanked Matteo and David for breakfast. They all sat down in the living room, eating off plates on their laps, and enjoyed it, even if Mia wasn’t there. 

“Sorry, Hans,” David said.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Hans said, waving a hand. He sighed. “She’s staying with Alex anyway, I’m sure they are having a wonderful homecoming time.” 

Matteo made a face. “Could we not?”

“The straights can have a lovely time too, I have heard,” Hans said.

This seemed to remind Matteo of something, because he turned to David with a bright look to his eyes. “Hanna broke it off with Stefan.”

“This is not an example I was thinking of,” Hans said. He offered a piece of pancake to his parrot daemon Fran. She took it from him happily.

Victoria added, “You seem way too happy about that. Is Hanna not a friend of yours?”

“Yes,” Matteo said. “But he is a tool.”

“He is not a tool,” David said. From the corner of the room, Jasmine snorted, but he ignored her. “He’s a nice guy. I only talked to him a couple times but—”

“Boooooring,” Matteo said. “He was boring. Hanna deserves someone better.”

“And who,” Hans said with faux innocence, “could you possibly be thinking of?”

“I have no idea,” Matteo said, just as innocent.

Stella whispered from the floor at Matteo’s feet up to him, which meant it was not a whisper at all and everyone heard it. “He means Jonas.”

“Yes, Stella, thanks,” Matteo said dryly. 

Stella pawed at his ankle in annoyance. “I want another grape.”

“You just scratched me,” Matteo said. “Why should I give you one?”

“I did not, you dick!” Stella said. She stood on his foot, and then put her paws on his leg, so that she was standing up right. Peering over his knee, she said, “Grape!”

“I don’t have any!”

This could go on for a while. So David took one off his plate and held it out to her. “Here, Stella.”

“Thank you, _David_ , my favourite.” She leaned over and took it delicately between her teeth, not touching him at all thought it probably looked close, and dropped back down to the floor to eat it.

“You spoil her,” Matteo said. That was not a lie.

“You don’t spoil her enough,” David said. That definitely was a lie.

David turned back to his pancake, but glanced up and saw he was being stared at by the other three flatmates of the WG. Hans blinked, possibly in shock, Linn tilted her head curiously as the ran a finger over her little dove's head, and Victoria had an observantly sharp look to her eyes that didn’t quite match her soft smile. 

He could feel the heat rise to his cheeks. But he picked up a grape from his plate and held it out, asking, “Anyone else?”

It broke the weird tension and there was laughter and smile. “Yeah, me,” Matteo said, and swiped it from David’s hand.

“Dick! You have your own on your plate.”

“What?” Stella cried in disbelief. “Matteo!”

“Well now I guess I better share,” Matteo said, winking at David and leaning down to pass Stella another grape.

“You’re all so ridiculous,” Hans said, but it sounded fond. No one disagreed with him.

**

David’s film application had to be submitted in a week. He’d already been asked to share it with his friends as a cover-up for Amira’s surprise going away party, and he’d agreed. But that was the weekend after it was due. The submission to the actual program was sooner than that.

And he didn’t have enough footage.

“Fuck. Fuck fuck _fuck_.” David stared at his laptop. He was set up at his desk in his room. His art supplies were pushed to the side, neglected in the recent weeks as the film had taken over his life completely.

“Did you try re-editing the part with the party?” Jasmine asked. “With Sam and Abdi and Kiki and Carlos and Amira? Oh, and Sara, right?”

They’d made the alien party look much bigger than it actually was, and there had been Alien-Matteo in the middle of it, looking bored and lost and so fucking alone. But he could only make that scene so long.

“It’ll drag the film,” David said. “I don’t need three minutes of that. The time I have is perfect.”

“Obviously it’s not,” Jasmine said. “Because you’re missing a minute of film.”

“Fifty seconds,” David said. If he was going to meet the minimum.

“Is it that much of a difference?”

It could be. It could be the difference between being able to submit the film, or not being able to.

David’s mobile pinged. It pinged again. It pinged and pinged and he was about ready to throw it across the room to shut it up.

He knew who it was before he looked at the screen, and it was the only thing keeping him from doing just that. He thumbed at the screen and looked at the chat that was just between him and Matteo.

**MATTEO:**  
_Holy shit. When we woke up Mia was crashed on the couch.  
10:14_

_She and Alex broke up.  
10:15_

_She’s moving to Spain though for a job but not for a couple weeks.  
So I guess she lives here again.  
10:18_

_Totally saw that one coming  
10:19_

David took a deep breath. He loved Matteo. He really liked all the flatmates at the WG, even Mia who he didn’t know nearly as well as Hans or Linn or now even Victoria.

But did he care about any of that right now? No. No, he really didn’t.

If he didn’t answer, Matteo would bug him and bug him until he did, and it would become a big deal when it really wasn’t, so he had to say something.

**DAVID:**  
_Crazy.  
10:26_

Then he put down his mobile, stared at his laptop screen, and _despaired_.

One minute later, the mobile rang. He and Jasmine stared at it.

“Aren’t you going to answer it?” Jasmine asked. David picked it up, and the caller ID picture was of Matteo and Stella making faces while the Eiffel Tower loomed in the distance behind them. David couldn’t help but smile when he saw it, and it made him feel better as he answered.

“Hey,” he said.

“What’s wrong?” Matteo asked immediately.

“What? I never said anything was wrong,” David said. He frowned as he looked at his laptop and the running time for his film. Fifty seconds short.

“That was a lame ass reply to the flat drama,” Matteo said.

“Maybe I didn’t have anything else to say,” David suggested.

“Nope,” Matteo said. “You love flat gossip as much as Hans.”

David snorted. It was funny that Matteo didn’t point out himself in the situation, since he was the one who’d sent all the gossipy messages to begin with, but David didn’t want to start an argument over that, no matter how not-serious the argument would be.

“Sorry,” David said instead. “Just distracted.”

“You’re working on the film today?” Matteo asked.

“Yeah. I finished my editing.”

“Great!” Matteo said.

“Not great,” David said glumly. “I am fifty seconds short of running time. I went through everything repeatedly. I don’t have any other workable footage to add in.”

Editing had been the hardest part. Putting together his vision with the footage he had. He liked what he had, was proud of it, but he hadn’t realized how much of it was unusable, for so many different reasons. What he had put together? He was confident in. It just wasn’t enough.

“Do you need to film more?” Matteo asked. “I will do whatever you need.”

“I have all your parts put together,” David said. “I can’t think of adding in anything else without making it seem... off.”

“What about the subplot?” Matteo asked.

“The subplot?” David blinked. “The original one I cut?”

“It’s in your first storyboard,” Matteo said. “I know you didn’t film any yet, but you only need one person to fill the part, right?”

“Yeah,” David said slowly. He tapped at his chin.

“And do you remember why you cut it?” Matteo asked.

“Because I thought it would make the film too long,” David answered immediately.

“Because you thought it would make the film too long,” Matteo agreed.

“Huh.” David put the mobile on speaker and set it down on his desk, and then got up, going to his portfolio folder tucked away in the corner. He opened it up and laid it out on his bed.

“You still there?” Matteo asked.

“I’m here,” David said. He spread out his first original story board. It had dark lines across it, from when Matteo was a dick that scared him while they were outside working on it one day, but recreating the couple panels he needed wouldn’t be too much work. “I’m looking at the ruined storyboard—”

“It is not ruined,” Matteo immediately said.

“It’s not perfect,” Jasmine answered.

“Look, I apologized for that—”

“Matteo,” David said.

“Yeah?”

“I fucking love you.”

“I know that,” Matteo said. “But why right now?”

“I can add in the subplot.”

“Told you.”

“I need to go,” David said. “I need to figure out how to do this, and I need to focus. I don’t have a lot of time.”

“Okay,” Matteo said. “Anything I can do to help?”

“You have helped so much,” David said. “Matteo—thank you. Really.”

“Anything for you,” Matteo said. “Just let me know if you need me, okay?”

“I will,” David promised. “I will. I’ll talk to you later, okay?”

“You bet,” Matteo said. “Bye.”

David scooped up his phone from his desk. “Bye,” he said, and ended the call, and put it back down.

He turned back to the bed, bringing his hands up to his neck and messaging under his ears as he stared at the storyboard, thinking.

“It’s a good idea,” Jasmine said, looking at the storyboard. “Do you think it’ll clutter up the main idea of your story? The one you’re actually trying to tell.”

He tilted his head, first to the left then to the right and back to the left, thinking.

“It was my initial concern,” he said. “But I think it can be done simply. Straight forward.”

“Only one person. Do you just want to do it?”

David made a face. “Ugh, no. I need to find someone else.”

“Then you should get a girl to play that roll,” Jasmine said. “Since Matteo has the main part, and Jonas and Sara have the two supporting roles. You should have more females.”

“Hmm, maybe, yeah. Good idea.” David sighed. “Sam would have been great.”

“You already used her for scenes.”

“I know,” David said, frowning. He would have cast this differently if he’d only stuck to this plan from the beginning. “Kiki is already in it too, as is Amira a little, and I know she’s really busy getting stuff together for her trip.”

“Spending time with her friends and family,” Jasmine agreed.

“And her man,” David said, smiling. Apparently she’d finally worked it out, and her and Mohammed were together for real now. He was happy for her.

“That too,” Jasmine said. “Laura’s out because she’s on her vacation with Simon.”

“Yeah, she won’t be back in time.” She’d do it, David knew, but he would have to work this out without her.

“Leonie?”

“Leonie was adamant about not being on film,” David said. “She really doesn’t want to. Maybe I can get her to do the voiceover bits, though. She’d be able to deliver a firm monologue.”

“Mia?”

“She’s probably a bit distracted right now,” David said. And, with David and Matteo gone on their trip and then Mia being in Spain, they hadn’t actually seen each other in months. It was too awkward to ask.

“True,” Jasmine said. “Hanna?”

David considered this. “Hanna is just so...” He didn’t know how to say this. It was hard to place, but Hanna was the exact opposite of the dictator alien character he needed to film.

“Sweet,” Jasmine said. “Gentle.”

David nodded. “That’s it exactly.”

“I think she could do it, though. It’s acting. And it’s straight forward,” Jasmine asked. “Put her in a mask? You wanted to do those mask ideas but couldn’t quite fit them in.”

“That’s true,” David said slowly, tapping his thumb against his bottom lip. “And if Leonie is doing the voiceover anyway.”

“It could work,” Jasmine said.

“Maybe it just could,” David agreed.

David made the arrangements he needed to get this film completed by the deadline. Leonie agreed to do the voiceover. Hanna was more than happy to meet to do a bit of filming since she’d been pretty unavailable all summer and said she’d love to help.

“That gives me four days to do these masks, write Leonie’s dialogue, and figure out how and where I’m going to film Hanna.”

David took a deep breath. He picked up his mobile.

Matteo answered right away. “Hey. All’s good?”

“Definitely better,” David said. “Up for helping me out?”

“Always,” Matteo said.

**

David missed Matteo’s Pasta a la Luigi dinner with the WG but the two of them got together the next day and worked on the masks. While he’d loved Sam’s costume contributions, he certainly didn’t expect her to go to all this trouble and work last minute to make these masks when he’d initially cut them out of the scenes.

Matteo helped him get them ready to be back in. Matteo also came shopping with him, and they found the perfect bath curtain on sale for five euro that would be a backdrop to Hanna’s part, the alien dictator that would help narrate that story. It would give it a new dimension. Also, Matteo said Stella had accidentally ripped their current shower curtain so he’d use this to replace it after. 

“See? It’s all going to work out. It’s going to be awesome,” Matteo said.

“I hope so,” David said. He hadn’t been able to shake the nauseated feeling he’d had since he realized his entire project was fucked. But he did feel slightly better with figuring it out, and having a plan forward.

“It will,” Matteo said confidently. “You’ll see.”

**

Matteo had apparently reached his limit of being the most supportive boyfriend ever, and proceeded in being a little shit. Filming David when he didn’t need to, making smart ass comments, lazing about and letting David set everything up.

“And this is who I ended up with,” David muttered, reaching for the camera and trying to very carefully wrestle it from Matteo’s grip. Hanna would be there soon and he needed to finish the set up.

“You chose him,” Jasmine said. “Now we’re stuck.”

“Congratulations!” Stella said. She was perched on the arm of the couch. “You have a lifetime of an amazing daemon and her okay human.”

“Hey,” Matteo said, and reached over to flick her ear. She tried to duck her head out of the way but he got a tiny piece and she started complaining loudly.

“Lucky us,” Jasmine said dryly. But to David, she said, _Lucky us_. He knew exactly what she meant.

He set his phone up with the gimbal and the tripod, and Matteo let Hanna into the WG when she buzzed in. David was so busy trying to make sure the natural lighting worked and the curtain didn’t look entirely cheesy that he missed parts of their conversation.

It was when he heard Matteo say, “Woo! Now you can date Jonas,” David clued into the conversation a little.

“Jonas and I are friends,” Hanna said.

“Right,” Matteo said. He gestured between himself and David. “So are we.”

“Yeah, if they were the kind of friends,” Stella said, “that fucked all the time.”

Tobias, Hanna’s fluffy orange cat daemon, made some sort of coughing noise. Jasmine snorted and David could tell she was amused. Heat rose to David’s cheeks.

“Right,” Matteo said, completely unabashed. “We—” he gestured again “—are those kind of friends. And you and Jonas can be too.”

Hanna rolled her eyes. “We’re finally friends again. I don’t want to ruin it with being _those_ kind of friends.”

“Is it okay if I ask,” David said, “what happened that made you end it with Stefan?”

“She already explained,” Matteo said. “Weren’t you listening? Who are you, me?”

“No,” David said. He held up the alien masks. “Trying to get stuff ready.”

“Productive? Definitely not Matteo,” Stella said, clearly still mad about having her ear flicked.

“Go on, Hanna,” David said.

“Well, Stefan and I were seeing each other, but the other day when he asked if I’d like to be official,” Hanna said, and Tobias made another little noise, maybe laughter. She didn’t comment on it, but it made David wonder just how that conversation had gone. “He asked, and I realized I didn’t feel the same way.” She shrugged. “We’re not seeing each other any longer. It just wasn’t going anywhere.”

“And,” Matteo said, pulling out his mobile and waving it around. It looked like it was open to Instagram. “Her and Jonas are clearly in love so obviously they’re going to get together.”

“Matteo,” Hanna said, in a strict manner. “Drop it. Please.”

Matteo didn’t always listen to such requests, and David really didn’t want Hanna to get mad and leave, so he made sure to intervene.

“Which one?” he asked, holding up the two alien masks he and Matteo had worked on that week. “We only need one.”

“Small one,” Matteo said, focused beyond Hanna now.

“Yup, it’s cool,” Hanna agreed.

“Okay,” David said. He got Hanna to sit down, then stand as he adjusted the chair, and then gave her the little accessories he’d consulted with Sam on, the ones for Hanna’s hands so they didn’t look like human hands.

He backed away and looked at the scene he’d set up, and he sighed deeply.

“I am not feeling this,” he said. “This subplot isn’t going to work, it’s just going to bog down the whole film—”

“It’s good,” Matteo said. “It’s going to work.”

David made a little whiny noise, so unlike him and more like Stella when she’d walked a whole bunch of blocks in Antewerp when they were in Belgium this summer. He went over to the couch and collapsed on it. Stella squeaked as she was nearly knocked off the arm when the couch moved a little. David only rubbed his face against Matteo’s chest, Matteo’s hands coming into David’s hair.

“Why did I think I can do this?” David complained.

“Because you don’t want to be an alien in an office building,” Matteo said.

David laughed. “No, I don’t. But it’s so hard.”

“I have a dirty joke I can tell if you want,” Matteo said. “About something that’s hard.”

“No,” Hanna said. “I don’t want to hear it.” Matteo laughed.

David said, “I would like to hear it.”

“I’ll show you,” Matteo said, and Hanna made a protesting noise again. “Later, and only if you get this done. How’s that for motivation?”

David sat up and tilted his head to the side, considering. “Not bad, but only if you—”

“Okay, nope, I’m stopping you here,” Jasmine said to David. “We have _company_.”

Everyone laughed, and David pushed himself up. Of course he was going to finish. He couldn’t stop this now. “Okay, okay. Let’s do this.”

They spent the next hour filming. It wasn’t that difficult, it was something the could be used repeatedly, but he tried it with the different alien heads and different costume changes and hand accessories. Since Hanna was behind the mask, and Leonie agreed to record the next day, there wasn’t a whole lot of directing to do. It was exactly what he needed to get past this, to fix his mistake on the film, and just fucking get it done.

“Nice,” David said after he filmed the last scene he wanted. He pressed the red button on the mobile screen, and that was it. “We’re done. Thanks, Hanna. You have no idea how much I appreciate it.”

She pulled the second alien mask, the really big one, off her head. “It’s no problem, really.”

“Still, thank you. I owe you. I owe _everyone_ ,” he said. “For helping out like that. They didn’t have to.”

“You’re our friend,” Hanna said with a big smile. “We all wanted to do this, and it was fun. Don’t worry about it.”

It struck him, then, that a year ago this wouldn’t have been possible. He would have had to do this all on his own, except for maybe Laura’s help. He hadn’t even had to bother her in the middle of her busy summer, trying to fix things with Simon and doing her own studies. Because he had _friends_. People who helped out just because they liked him. He was confident he would have become friends with Sara and Leonie regardless, but he had a bigger group of people he knew, that he liked, that he was _friends_ with, and it had been the most unexpected thing that had happened in the past year.

No, that wasn’t true. Falling in love with Matteo was. And he knew having such a large friend group had everything to do with that. If it wasn’t for meeting Matteo, and Matteo accepting and loving him, just as he was, then things would have been a lot different.

He, Matteo, and Hanna hung out for a little while, chatting and laughing, before Hanna had to leave. But when she did, Matteo and David both walked her and Tobias to the door, and hugged her goodbye.

The moment that Hanna was gone, David pushed Matteo up against the door and kissed him senseless. When he finally backed away, Matteo’s lips were kiss-red, his hair a mess and eyes half-lidded.

“What was that for?” Matteo asked, voice slightly cracking at the end.

“Thank you,” David said.

“For what?”

“Everything,” David answered. He didn’t want or need to get into it any further. That was all he wanted to say.

Matteo didn’t answer. It was as though he understood exactly what David meant. He just pulled David in and kissed him back, soft and sweet.

“Hey,” David said against Matteo’s lips after the kiss. “Weren’t you going to show me something hard?”

“Oh, I have something hard alright,” Matteo said. “I think some privacy is in order, though.”

They went to Matteo’s room, hands all over each other, giggling, and completely ignored the mess in the living room that still needed to be cleaned.

And they definitely locked the door.

**

**ANNE:**  
_My boy! How are you?  
I feel like I’ve barely heard from you since  
you were visiting me here in Fürstenberg.  
10:23_

**DAVID:**  
_Hi! Sorry, the last couple weeks have been crazy.  
I’ve been working on my film.  
10:34_

**ANNE:**  
_Ah, I see. How’s it going?  
10:36_

**DAVID:**  
_Some days, I love it.  
Some days, I don’t.  
It’s okay. Averted a huge disaster, thanks to Matteo’s help.  
10:39_

**ANNE:**  
_How is that boy?  
10:41_

**DAVID:**  
_Good! He just started a new job.  
10:42_

**ANNE:**  
_Getting work is good. Where?  
10:43_

**DAVID:**  
_A diner his dad’s friend owns. It’s only two or three times a week right now, covering breakfast and lunch rushes.  
10:44_

**ANNE:**  
_Good for him! Tell him hello for me. And cute Stella too.  
10:45_

**DAVID:**  
_I will, and I know they’d say hi back. :)  
10:50_

**ANNE:**  
_Have your parents met him yet?  
I heard you told them about your relationship.  
10:52_

**DAVID:**  
_Not yet. We were supposed to go for dinner, but then Mom got time off work and they went on a short notice vacation.  
10:54_

**ANNE:**  
_How nice for them!  
11:19_

**DAVID:**  
_Yes! They invited us for lunch before they left but Matteo was working his first shift.  
So he couldn’t make it.  
Now they’re gone for a while._  
11:20

**DAVID:**  
_How are things with you?  
11:25_

**ANNE:**  
_Good! Work is work as usual.  
But do you remember my neighbour across the street? The odd one?  
11:26_

**DAVID:**  
_How could I forget?  
She thought Matteo was going to rob her.  
11:27_

**ANNE:**  
_Oh that’s right!  
11:38_

**DAVID:**  
_He made Jasmine walk beside him so she didn’t come yelling at him about  
her precious doll collection.  
Stella and I laughed so much.  
11:40_

**ANNE:**  
_That poor sweet boy. As if he’d ever.  
Well do I ever have a story for you.  
11:43_

**

“It’s good, David,” Laura said. She looked up from David’s laptop, which sat on the kitchen table. David leaned against the counter, watching her watch his film. Marwin perched on the back of her chair and watched it too. As always, Jasmine was on her cushion in the corner, but she didn’t seem as relaxed as she usually did. His anxiety was probably getting to her.

The film was completed. It was edited and had Jonas’ soundtrack and David and Leonie’s voiceovers in place. It met the minimum time requirement, and David was proud of how he’d been able to fix it. To fit in the subplot and make the story more robust.

“But is it good enough?” David asked. He tried to keep it light, but it came out a little wobbly. Yes, he liked it and he was proud of it. But he couldn’t shake off the feeling it wasn’t good _enough_

“I wish I could give you that answer,” Laura said gently. “I’m not on the selection board. I can’t tell you if you’ll get a place or not. But I truly hope you do.”

Trust Laura to give it to him with no bullshit attached. 

He sighed. “I know.”

“But don’t misunderstand me,” she said. “It _is_ very good. I think you did brilliant.” She smiled at him. “I’m proud of you for accomplishing this.”

“I haven’t accomplished shit,” he mumbled.

 _None of that_ , Jasmine said through their link. 

“Hey, now, none of that.” She clicked at the keyboard, and then closed the laptop. “You have accomplished a lot in the last year, this major film project just a part of that. Be proud of yourself.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he said, trying to brush it off. But he knew what she meant, or at least how she hoped he’d feel. It was hard to work up to that, sometimes. But he’d try, for her if not himself.

“Do you have plans for the rest of the day?” Laura asked.

He shrugged. “Matteo’s at work but he’s going to come over tonight to watch it. Nothing beyond that. He’s going to stay over but works in the morning so it won’t be a late night.”

She stood. “Okay. Let’s go out. Let’s do something to distract you from dwelling over this film.”

“Like what?”

“We need to go grocery shopping.”

“Oh yay. Fun,” David said dryly.

She rolled her eyes but walked past him, patting his shoulder. Marwin flapped by. “We’ll grab groceries on the way back. Simon’s friend has an art exhibit open that I’ve been meaning to check out. How about it?”

“Better,” David said. That sounded like something he’d be much more interested in than grocery shopping. He and Jasmine followed her out.

**

**MATTEO:**  
_Sorry I couldn’t make it over tonight.  
Thanks for sharing the link to your drive for your film.  
20:00_

**DAVID:**  
_I know you wanted to see it as soon as it was done.  
20:00_

 **MATTEO:**  
_I did. And I watched it. You’re awesome.  
I wish I’d been with you to watch but I couldn’t wait.  
20:02_

**DAVID:**  
_It’s okay! I don’t know if I’ll be able to watch it with other people.  
I’m so over having to watch it.  
20:03_

**MATTEO:**  
_Too bad for you, you already promised for Amira’s party!  
20:04_

**DAVID:**  
_I know, I know.  
How’s your mom?  
20:04_

**MATTEO:**  
_She’s okay. Better now.  
She just… had a bad week, I guess. And wanted to spend time with me.  
But she was nothing like before. Just lonely I think.  
20:05_

**DAVID:**  
_I’m glad you went to see her.  
20:06_

**MATTEO**  
_Me too.  
I brought take out from the restaurant and we watched a movie.  
…. about aliens. One alien in particular  
20:05_

**DAVID:**  
_oh god  
20:06_

**MATTEO:**  
_She loved it.  
She loved seeing Stella at the end.  
20:07_

**DAVID:**  
_what did you think of the finished version?  
20:09_

**MATTEO:**  
_honestly? It was weird watching myself on screen.  
But also…. it was amazing.  
20:10_

**DAVID:**  
_are you complimenting me or yourself?  
20:11_

**MATTEO:**  
_YOU.  
20:13_

**MATTEO:**  
_I’m serious. It is so great.  
20:17_

**MATTEO:**  
_DAAAAAAAAAAAAVID you better believe me.  
20:29_

**MATTEO:**  
_DAAAAAAAAVID  
20:35_

**MATTEO:**  
_Stella thinks I should send out a search party  
20:42_

**DAVID:**  
_Sorry, sorry, was helping Laura with dishes!  
20:45_

**MATTEO:**  
_Ok I’ll tell Stella she was overreacting.  
20:46_

**DAVID:**  
_Stella huh  
20:47_

**MATTEO:**  
_She’s very dramatic.  
20:47_

**DAVID:**  
_I wonder who she gets it from. Literally.  
20:48_

**

This was it. The time had come.  


David needed to submit his application to the film program.

He was applying to the school and the arts program, but hoped to immediately get into the film program so he didn’t have to waste any time. He wanted right in. He wanted to start his future career as soon as possible.

David stared at the mail package on the bed. The portfolio he had to send in. The notes. The flash drive with the actual film, even though that was also going to be sent electronically.

“It’s good,” Jasmine ensured him. “David, it’s good.”

“But is it good enough?” It was the question he’d asked Laura. And Matteo. And himself a dozen times. 

“There is only one way to find out,” Jasmine said. She rubbed her cheek against his hand.

“I know.” He took a deep breath, picked up the package, and they left to apply for his future.

**

He knocked on the door to Matteo’s flat. He’d been buzzed up already, and it only took one second for the door to open. Matteo stood there, smiling softly. He stepped aside so Jasmine could pass by him and find Stella.

“All done?” Matteo asked.

David nodded. “All done.”

Matteo reached out and pulled David into a hug. He was warm and welcoming and perfect. David wrapped his arms around Matteo’s waist and leaned his head against Matteo’s shoulder, taking a deep breath. He smelled faintly of cigarettes and mint.

“I’m proud of you, you know,” Matteo said.

“I won’t hear until the end of the month. Maybe wait until then to be proud.”

“Don’t be stupid,” Matteo said. “Whatever happens, I _am_ proud of you. You did awesome.”

“I’m just… anxious,” David said. He pulled back, though stayed in Matteo’s arms. He made a face. “There are a lot of applicants for a very limited number of spots.”

“You have a back-up plan,” Matteo said.

David nodded. He did. Even if he didn’t get a spot this year, he planned on taking courses that could be used as credit in the film program, or would give him more knowledge in case he had to do another film and reapply. He’d applied to other schools, just in case.

Hopefully it didn’t come to that.

“Not that you’ll need it,” Matteo said confidently.

David rolled his eyes. “We don’t know that.”

“No, but we’re going to stick with it until we hear that we’re right,” Matteo said. He plucked at David’s t-shirt sleeve. “But we should distract you until we do know.”

David’s eyebrows raised and he playfully leered. “What exactly do you have in mind, Mr. Florenzi?”

Matteo laughed, and he put his arms back around David’s neck. He pecked a kiss to David’s mouth. “Actually, it wasn’t that, but I’m game. We can do _a lot_ of that to distract you, if you’d like.”

“What else did you have in mind?” David asked.

“Nothing much,” Matteo said, with a shrug. “Just saving the planet.”

“A worthy cause,” David said, nodding. “Game plan for that?”

“Getting an artist’s eye on what paint is best for protests signs?”

David laughed. He ran his hands up and down Matteo’s side. “I do like this plan.”

“Daemons!” Matteo called out. They looked over and then Jasmine came around the corner of the living room, Stella perched on her head between her ears. Matteo grinned. “Come on. We’re going shopping.”

“What for?” Stella asked sceptically.

“Paint and protest sign materials.”

“Oh,” she said. “That would be acceptable.”

Matteo raised an eyebrow. “What wouldn’t have been acceptable?”

“Pretty much anything else,” she said. She didn’t elaborate as to why, so Matteo just shrugged and David shook his head, grinning. 

“Let’s go,” he said.

“I’m going to text the guys. They should come over to help make signs this week,” Matteo said, pulling his mobile out of his pocket. “We’ll figure out a time we’re all free. Then march on Friday.”

“Don’t work Friday?” David asked.

Matteo shook his head. “Nah, I made sure I had if off. You’re coming, right?”

It would be good to distract himself from thinking of his film, and support Matteo in something he clearly was passionate about.

“Count me in,” David said. Matteo kissed his cheek and let Jasmine lead them out of the flat.

**

It was a good thing Matteo’s room was spacious, because fitting the five friends, their daemons, plus all the protest sign materials was on the side of chaos. The daemons eventually went out onto the balcony, just to stay out of the way of the humans, though they’d wander into the room once in a while, one at a time, to check out the progress. Well, except for Jasmine, who preferred to stay out of everyone’s way. 

“What do you think?” Abdi asked. He held up a sign—upside down—and it had two spelling mistakes.

“You got into university, you say?” David asked. The other guys tried to cover up their laughter. 

Abdi looked down at his sign. “Oh, right.” He turned it the right way up and then grinned broadly. “How’s that?”

“Better,” David said.

Carlos shook his head. “Look again. There, and there—why are you using,” Carlos asked, sufficiently distracted from Abdi to look at David’s sign, “three shades of green?”

“Because the earth is a big, wonderful, diverse place,” David answered.

Carlos stared at him blankly. “Eh?”

“The earth is several shades of green,” David said, deadpan. Out of the corner of his eye, David could see Jonas bite his lip and duck his head, trying not to laugh.

“Ah, yes,” Carlos said. He nodded like that made perfect sense. In reality, David just liked using several shades of green.

Matteo laughed, because he knew it wasn’t as deep as David had made it sound, so David shot him a warning look. Matteo smirked, then reached over with his paintbrush with red all over it, and tried to paint David’s arm.

“Hey!” David jerked his arm out of the way. Matteo tried again, and this would not do, it would not. David got to his knees, and grabbed at the brush. Matteo sort of half curled up, protecting himself and the brush, and tried to keep it from David. He was no match for David, though, and David got the brush from him and then booped him on the end of the nose with it.

“Fuck,” Matteo said, laughing, and rubbed at the end of his nose.

“That’s what you get,” David said, “for trying to get me first.”

“You guys,” Carlos said, trying to fix a slight mishap with his sign, “are disgustingly cute.”

“Truth,” Abdi said. He held up his sign, and he had managed to find the errors and fix it. He held it out pointedly at David. “Okay, Mr. Artist, how’s this?”

“Beautiful,” David said, and sat back to work on his sign again.

They got a few done, including one very long one that said _There Is No Planet B_ right across it that they were going to give the girls to carry, as they’d agreed to come to the protest but couldn’t make it to help with the signs.

“This is going to be awesome,” Matteo said. “Thanks, guys. For doing this with me.”

“Of course, man,” Abdi said.

“You care about something,” Jonas said. “Well, something other than our bro over there,” he said, nodding at David. “And it’s a good cause. Of course we’re in.”

“What if you had to pick between saving the earth,” Carlos said, very seriously, “and saving David?”

“David,” Matteo said immediately.

“Saving all of humanity on the earth by letting a meteor land right on David—but saving everyone else, thank you for your sacrifice, David—”

“Hey, wait—” David tried to interrupt. Carlos put up a hand to stop him.

“—or save David?” Carlos asked Matteo.

“Save David,” Matteo said, as if it were the stupidest question he’d ever heard.

“No, but seriously,” Carlos said. “This meteor is going to destroy the world. It will cause death and destruction and, and, and—”

“The apocalypse,” Abdi said.

Carlos snapped his fingers. “Yes, that. All that would be saved _if_ you let the meteor land on David. It’s your choice, not David’s.”

“How come I don’t get a choice?” David asked.

“Bro, shush, Matteo is thinking about saving the world here,” Carlos said. 

“No contest,” Matteo said. “Save David.”

“Dude,” Carlos said. “Hardcore.”

“He and I can survive the apocalypse,” Matteo said. He sent a little smile to David, private and knowing. David pursed his lips together, trying to hold back a big grin. “We’re good.”

“Yeah, we’re good,” David said. He swept his arm to include the other three. “You guys are fucked though.”

“Wait a second,” Abdi said, but he was cut off when the buzzer for the flat rang.

“Stella!” Matteo yelled. “We have to go answer the door!” They’d been practicing and were doing much better, but apparently he thought it was too far away for him to leave her. They’d probably feel separation pains before he reached the buzzer.

“I am _talking_ to _Rafida_ ,” Stella yelled back in a way that indicated that she was not interested in leaving.

“Aww,” Abdi said happily.

“I’ll go,” David said. He got up and went to leave the room, not bothering to call Jasmine.

“Wait,” Carlos said quietly, as if he didn’t want David to hear. He wasn’t very good at quiet. “He can do that? His daemon isn’t even a bird.”

“Yup,” Matteo said.

Abdi whistled under his breath. “Impressive.”

David answered the buzzer and then let Hanna, who was on the other end, in to the building. He waited at the door as she took the handful of seconds to get upstairs.

“Hey,” he greeted as she came in. Tobias darted past them into the flat.

“Hi,” she said, and gave him a hug in greeting. “I’m glad you guys are still here. Is, um. Is Jonas still here too?”

It wasn’t hard to know where the guys had been hanging out. Checking instagram and their stories made it pretty obvious, and Jonas had definitely posted his inappropriate yet hilarious sign.

“Yeah, we’re still here.” David smirked a little. He knew that Matteo would be thrilled to know Hanna was here and looking for Jonas. David tilted his head in a ‘come in’ gesture. “Matteo’s room.”

“Okay,” she said, and followed him.

David went into the room. Matteo looked past him to Hanna, and then his gaze met David’s. David raised an eyebrow and he knew Matteo knew exactly what he meant.

Matteo jumped to his feet. “Okay, guys.” He clapped his hands. “We have to go. We, uh. Have to help David with his film.”

Carlos was cleaning up the paint, putting lids on everything. He wasn’t looking up and probably didn’t even notice Hanna. Jonas, for his part, was staring at her with wide eyes.

“I thought his film was done,” Carlos said. “He already submitted it.”

“For the viewing,” David said. “For the goodbye party on the weekend.”

“How do you need help with that—” Carlos finally looked up and then he saw Hanna. David raised his eyebrows. “Oh! Oh, yes. That. For sure.”

“What?” Abdi said. “What are we doing?”

“Okay, daemons!” Matteo yelled out. “Time to go!” Kathrin flew into the room immediately. “Except you.” She landed on Jonas’ shoulder. She didn’t speak—David wasn’t sure he’d ever really heard her speak, she was much more a quiet observer, but most daemons were. A lot of daemons didn’t talk a lot around so many humans.

“I am _talking_ to _Tobias_ ,” Stella yelled.

Except Stella, when she was in the right mood.

“Now, Stella,” Matteo said firmly. Rarely did he speak such a way, to anyone but definitely not her. She came into the room immediately, grumbling under her breath. Tobias followed her, and then ran to Hanna and circled around Hanna’s ankles. 

“Everyone out,” Matteo said. “Make room for the tiger, please.” Jasmine stood at the door of the balcony, waiting for everyone to clear out so she could make her way through.

“But why? Why isn’t Jonas coming?” Abdi asked.

“We’ll explain on the way,” Carlos said, pulling on his arm. Maria the monkey followed after him.

“This is the least subtle departure ever,” Stella said as Matteo scooped her up.

“Good,” Matteo said. “Maybe these two will work out their shit.”

“No one asked for your opinion,” Jonas said to Matteo. But his eyes were only on Hanna. 

Once everyone and their daemons were out of the room, save for Jonas and Hanna, David and Jasmine also left. He pulled the door behind him, but not before he winked at Jonas and gave a thumbs up.

“Well, boys, now what?” Abdi said as they all stood in the living room. 

“Let’s go for pizza,” Matteo said.

“Your treat? For dragging us out of there?” Abdi said hopefully.

“No fucking way,” Matteo said. He put Stella up onto his shoulder. Abdi did the same with Rafida the squirrel and Maria the Monkey swung up to cling to Carlos’ head. He didn’t seem to mind at all. “Get your own gross pizza.”

Abdi turned to David. “How do you feel about Hollandaise sauce?”

David scrunched up his nose. “On pizza?” Abdi huffed and Matteo laughed.

“That’s my man,” Matteo said, hooking his fingers into the waist of David’s pants. “Let’s go.”

**

Dinner was almost done when Matteo picked up his phone. He smirked as he looked at the screen, and asked David, “Mind if I stay at your place tonight?”

“Never,” David said.

“Awww,” Carlos said.

Abdi scuffed him upside the head. “Says the man who actually lives with his partner.”

Carlos tried to hit him back. “We need to get you a date, at least.”

Abdi nodded. “I’ll talk to Sam at the picnic on Sunday.”

Matteo and David exchanged glances. Abdi had been saying that for months. 

“What’s going to make this time any different?” Matteo asked Abdi.

“This time,” Abdi said, “I’m going to actually talk to her.”

Matteo rolled his eyes as David laughed. “That’s a start,” David added.

“Yes, yes it is,” Abdi said happily.

“You hung out at the lake all summer,” Matteo said. “And you couldn’t follow through. You barely said five words to her.”

“That’s why I’m going to _talk_ to her this weekend. Actually ask her out on a date.”

David nodded. “Good plan. Be direct.”

“Exactly!” Abdi said. “This guy gets it.”

“We all do,” Carlos said. “We’re just glad you finally caught up.” 

“Oh,” Abdi said as David and Matteo exchanged a grin. 

After dinner they parted ways, and Matteo came home with David. They were sitting on the bus when Stella poked her head out of Matteo’s hood, where she’d been comfortably curled up. She partially came onto Matteo’s shoulder, on the side that was close to David so they could both hear.

“They’re going to have sex in our bed, aren’t they?”

“Who, Abdi and Sam?” Matteo said. 

“Very funny. You know who!” she said. “Jonas and Hanna! In our bed!”

Matteo laughed. “Well, yes. Hopefully.”

“Matteo!” Stella hit her little paw against his cheek, with made David laugh. “That’s gross.”

“We’ll wash the sheets,” Matteo said. “This is a good thing, Stella. You know it is.”

“Ugh,” she said. She retreated into Matteo’s hood, but not before saying, “You’re so gross.”

Matteo looked at David and shrugged. David said, “Definitely wash them before I come over the next time.”

“I bet you anything they aren’t thinking about what’s been done in that bed before they—”

“Oh, God, stop,” David said. Heat raised to his cheeks as Matteo playfully leered at him. David put a hand on Matteo’s face and pushed him away. “Let’s just stop this conversation.”

“Sleeping arrangements aside,” Matteo said. “This is a good thing.”

“Think they’ll get back together?” David asked.

“Oh, yeah. They’re back together,” Matteo said, and he sounded genuinely happy.

“That’s good,” David said.

“Yeah.” Matteo sighed. “I know I sound maybe too invested, but I just...” He trailed off.

“You want them happy.”

“I do,” Matteo agreed.

“They’ll have to work that part out for themselves,” David said. “But I think they got a good start.”

“I hope so,” Matteo said. 

They got to David’s bus stop, and got off the bus. Matteo was lost in his thoughts. David took his hand and squeezed it.

“Hey,” he said. “Let’s go mess up a bed, yeah?”

Matteo smiled. He brought David’s hand up to his mouth and kissed his palm, right in his usual spot. “Definitely.”

**

Fridays For Future was absolute madness. Matteo had started the day with putting a little story on his Instagram, and all their friends met up. Like, all of them. And Matteo’s flatmates too.

“That’s interesting,” Matteo muttered to David. He nodded his head towards Mia and Victoria, who were standing quite close and looking very intently at each other. David raised his eyebrows. Matteo added, “Summer fling?”

“Not really summer anymore,” David pointed out.

“Yes it is,” Matteo said. “Because—” he raised his voice “—the earth is on fucking fire.”

Abdi held up his sign. “Save the whales!”

“Oh god,” David muttered under his breath, but Abdi did get a very enthusiastic high-five from a stranger who walked by.

Matteo and David stuck as close to each other as they could, though their friend group did end up getting lost in the crowd. Abdi tried to stick with Sam but it looked like Sam got whisked off with Carlos and Kiki. Amira and Mohammed were adorably smiley and close. Jonas and Hanna would not let go of their hands and had to hold up one sign between them. Stella was in the little pouch Matteo had strapped to his front, so she could see easily and he didn’t have to worry about her, and Jasmine was a constant right at David’s side.

It was amazing to be a part of. Matteo reminded David of how he was at Pride—bright eyes and observant of everything, taking pictures and making comments. This was Matteo who cared about something, observing something that was close to his heart.

He was so fucking beautiful in these moments.

Kiki found them again in the crowd, her little lovebird circling above her head. 

“Boys,” Kiki said. “All’s good for Sunday?”

David nodded. “Yup. We have everything we need to show the film.”

“Thank you for using that as an excuse, but we’re all excited to see it,” Kiki said. She clapped her hands together. “And of course excited for Amira. Amira is going to be so surprised.”

David smiled. He was glad Amira and Kiki had worked out whatever problem they’d been having over the summer. Kiki clearly loved Amira and wanted her to have a great send off.

“Can I invite Sara and Leonie?” David asked. It’d been on his mind but he hadn’t messaged about it yet.

Kiki blinked at him. “Why?” she asked bluntly. She seemed to realize she was, perhaps, being a little rude. “Not that they aren’t great, they are, but what do they have to do with Amira? They aren’t best friends or anything.”

“It’s more for my film?” David said. “They helped out a lot. I think they’d like to see it. And I’m sure they’d love to catch up with everyone.” Leonie and Sara weren’t particularly close to this friend group—there was history there—but they’d worked that all out and got along well enough.

“Oh! Of course, that would be fine. The more the merrier.” She smiled brightly.

Matteo rolled his eyes to the heavens above, keeping it from Kiki though, and David plastered on a smile. “Great. Looking forward to it.”

“It’s going to be so good!” Kiki said, and she pushed her way through the crowd to find Carlos and Sam again. Abdi followed after her.

“We don’t actually have to show it,” David said. “I can just share my drive link.”

Matteo took his hand. “We are showing it.”

David grimaced. “Maybe we shouldn’t. It’s not—”

“It’s great, everyone—including Sara and Leonie—loved helping you out. They would like to see it.”

David sighed. “Okay.” He straightened his shoulders. “Enough about me. It feels like the second half of the summer has been too much about me. Let’s go save the planet.”

“Everything can be about you. You’re more than everything, including the earth, remember?” Matteo smirked. “You and me could survive the end of it.”

“Let’s not actually bring on the apocalypse,” David said dryly. He grinned. “Let’s save the planet instead.”

“Heroes to the core,” Matteo said.

“The best ones ever!” Stella pipped up from her secure spot. Jasmine grunted in agreement.

“Definitely,” David agreed. He took Matteo’s hand and they walked further into the crowd.

**Author's Note:**

>  **FANART:** 2 new posts done by the wonderful rimbaux on tumblr!! Check them out, they are amazing.
> 
> #1: [David&Jasmine, Laura&Marwin, Amira&Abasi, Victoria&her butterfly](https://rimbaux.tumblr.com/post/189966556798/you-should-all-go-read-eldee-ld-s-new-fic) by rimbaux
> 
> #2: [Matteo&Stella, David&Jasmine](https://rimbaux.tumblr.com/post/189997553183/just-some-humans-seeking-comfort-from-their) by rimbaux
> 
> #3: [David&Jasmine with Matteo&Stella](https://eternaldoodlz.tumblr.com/post/190553188309/for-eldee-ld-s-amazing-daemon-au-i-like) by eternaldoodlz
> 
> **BONUS:** If you have any interest, I created my own playlist to write by for this fic. It can be found [here on Spotify.](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5Z0U5aqpsd5G3Mf2lUv6Lh?si=G1D0vAOVRiOhCf1oqzCQkQ)


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